Life Makes Love Look Hard
by twilight37
Summary: After living through nine months of a planned teen pregnancy, Edward and Bella have been through everything. Now done with high school, and with their baby finally here, they're ready to take on the world together - living the life they had never planned for, discovering family secrets, and falling even more in love... finding that, sometimes, life makes love look hard. Sequel .
1. A Day In The Life

**Hey guys! After a long awaited week or so, the first chapter to the sequel of People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine is finally up! It took forever to write, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.**

**Before we get started, I just wanted to say, hi! If you're new to the story, that's great! Thanks for reading! I really suggest checking out the story before this one… ;) If you are returning… then thanks for coming back! I love you guys.**

**There I go, rambling on again. Sorry, I do it a lot. Anyway, here is the first chapter to Life Makes Love Look Hard!**

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_BPOV_

I stared out into the sea of people, my body shaking with nervousness. This was the moment I had waited my entire life now; the moment I had literally dreamed about for years. I had fought for this moment, and now that it was finally here, I was on the top of the world.

The hands of hundreds of parents, teachers, friends, and family clapped in the audience as I held up the bottom of my long, black gown - the heels that Alice had made me wear clicking on the hardwood floor - and walked towards the podium.

I stood behind it, my lips inches away from the microphone. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I tried again, speaking more loudly, and tapping the tip of the microphone. Everyone in the audience smiled back at me, as though everything was going as planned. I shook my head, not understanding. I tried for a third time, only to find my words being overpowered by an ear piercing scream.

My eyes shot open and I instantly looked over at the clock, which was still too early for me to even think about being awake. I rolled on my back and covered my eyes with my hands, trying to block out the cries from Aveline.

Aveline is my one week old daughter. She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, and the fact that she's mine is still having a tough time sinking in. Her green eyes are a mirror image of her father's, but even at her young age, her facial features resemble my own.

Edward Cullen - her father and my boyfriend - and I had experienced the very long journey of bringing her into the world a little differently from everyone else. We're still in high school, so the impression that she was just another mistake was taken by many people, even though that is most certainly not the case. We had planned on having her, just like any other couple who wanted to have a baby.

"Aveline…" I moaned, kicking the blankets off of my body and turning on the bedside lamp. Since it was a school night, I had told Edward to sleep downstairs so that he wouldn't have to be up every hour with the baby (though weekends were an entirely different story). I would be going back to school eventually, just not now. Edward and his sister, Alice, brought me back my school work every afternoon and would bring it to the designated teachers the next morning.

I walked over to the bassinet where she slept and picked her up. She continued to scream, her pale skin glowing bright red. I sat on the bed, propped my knees up, with my back leaning against the headboard, and rested her on my knees. She screamed even louder, squeezing her eyes shut, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Please, baby… let mommy sleep…" I pleased with her.

She only screamed louder.

I tried not to cry myself, and scooped her up into my arms. Holding her close to my chest, she seemed to calm down a bit. In between her screaming, she would stop and cough and open her eyes, only to close them and resume her crying.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her, desperate for her to stop. "Do you want to eat?"

I tried feeding her, but she pushed me away with her tiny hands and continued screaming.

"Do you need me to change you?" I questioned, mostly to myself, though I already knew the answer. She was completely dry. I had just changed her diaper the last time she had woken me up screaming - an hour ago. Either way, I took the clean one off of her and put a new one on. Of course, since she hates having her diaper changed, she cried even more.

I didn't even try dressing her again; I left her in her diaper. I then picked her up and walked back and forth in the small room.

I knew that babies were supposed to cry a lot, but this was excessive. She never stopped. The only time she stops crying is when I'm feeding her or she's asleep. Other than that, the Cullen house echoes with the loud screaming of a newborn baby.

"Shh…" I soothed, bouncing her up and down slowly and rubbing the back of her head. Her voice bounced with my movement; when I went up, her wails got higher. "Shh, baby… shh…" I tried again.

I tried humming a lullaby to help her fall asleep, or at least calm her down, but her voice overpowered mine. She was so loud that I could hardly hear myself think anymore. Though all that I could think about at the moment was sleep.

There was a small knock on the door, followed by it slowly pushing open. Edward walked in, looking like he had just woken up. His bronze hair was messy and his eyes looked full of sleep. He wore a pair of long, blue pants with no shirt, but at this point, I didn't have the energy to appreciate his perfect, God-like body.

"You okay?" He asked, drowsily.

"She won't stop crying."

"Have you tried - "

"I've tried everything!" I exploded. "I tried feeding her, I changed her diaper, I gave her a bath earlier. I held her, I bounced her, I rocked her, I sang to her…" My shaking voice faded to nothing. I turned away from him, still holding the screaming baby in my arms.

"Let me take her." Edward offered.

"No." I said, stubbornly. "I can handle it."

He sighed heavily. "Bella."

I still stood with my back to him; determined to get this baby to stop crying on my own. Despite my stubborn, protests, Edward came up behind me and rested his hands on my hips. I tensed up, not expecting him to approach me like that. He turned me around so that I was facing him and looked me in the eye with a pleading look. Without even asking, Edward reached for the baby in my arms, and in defeat, I handed her to him.

He held her against his bare chest, supporting her little head with his hand, and very lightly bounced her. When she still hadn't quieted down, he one handedly opened the door, and walked out. Curious as to what he was doing, I followed, only to find that he was slowly pacing up and down the hallway, whispering in her ear to soothe her.

I simply shook my head, and dragged myself over to the bed, where I buried my head into the pillows, and sprawled my body across the gray bedspread.

It had been such a _long_ week. Not only had I gotten less than four hours of sleep every night, but with Edward gone to school and cross country every other day, I was practically alone in all of this. And on the days that he didn't have cross country, he still came home late. Since he was offered a paid internship at the local hospital, the administration switched his study hall to last period so that he could leave school and go to work for a while. Of course Esme, Edward's mother, would watch over her when I wanted to take a shower, or get myself something to eat, but other than that, I took care of Aveline on my own.

I'm not mad about that, and I'm not upset about it either. I love my daughter, but this is the outcome of the choice I made. I knew that it would be hard when she was first born, but I had never imagined anything like this. Now here I am, struggling to get sleep, doing my homework with a baby screaming her lungs out, and somehow managing to ace everything.

It's exhausting.

I covered my head with a pillow, in an attempt to drone out the sound Aveline for about half an hour, when suddenly - as though some sort of gracious blessing - it stopped. I sat up on the bed, sitting with my legs crisscrossed and looked out of the door.

Edward stood in the doorway, holding Aveline in his arms with a look of relief washed over his face. I closed my eyes and fell back on the bed, knowing that an hour or so of well deserved sleep was awaiting me. After putting her in her crib, Edward walked over and plopped himself right next to me.

We both lay in silence, and let the exhaustion from the night wash over us.

Then, like a rain cloud covering my little piece of heaven, Aveline whimpered softly, and, once again, her screams echoed throughout the room. I covered my face with my hands and sighed, then looked over at Edward who simply said:

"Your turn."

* * *

"Say goodbye to daddy!" I called out the next morning, holding Aveline in my arms as Edward and Alice rushed to get out the door. She had just woken up from her very short two hour nap, and she was very fussy. Not necessarily screaming like she was last night, but she was cranky; crying and refusing to do anything other than be held.

Edward came over and kissed her on the top of her head, then gave me a quick peck on the lips. I smiled at him and put my hand on the back of Aveline's head, as she continued to whine.

"Have a good day at school." I said.

"And you have a good day at home." He smiled and kissed me again. "I'll be home as soon as practice lets out."

"Go run a mile for me." I teased.

Edward laughed and said goodbye one last time before he was rushed out to the car by his sister. Since they were running a little late, I didn't try for another kiss before he left for the day. Instead, I walked out onto the front porch, and watched as they drove away.

I sighed heavily, realizing that Aveline was now hitting her fists against my back and beginning to cry. This was a normal routine for her. She knew when it was time to eat.

"Okay, I know, I know, you're hungry."

I took her back into the warm house and closed the door behind me. I then grabbed one of Aveline's soft, pink blankets that was draped over the back of the couch and took a seat. Sitting against the luxurious, leather couch instantly made me sleepy. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying to get at least another five minutes of sleep, but Aveline reminded me that she was hungry by fidgeting in my arms and beginning to cry.

I sat up and brushed my finger along her head. She barely had any hair, but the small amount that she did was dark brown, just like mine.

I covered her with the blanket, some of it covering my shoulder, and fed her. While feeding her, I grabbed the remote with my free hand and turned it on. There weren't many good shows on at this time, so I settled with the morning news.

"… Forks teen Lauren Mallory is still reported missing. After dropping a friend off at the emergency room, she allegedly left to go and get her friends family, but never showed at the house, and never returned to the hospital. It's been a week since the disappearance, and no one has heard anything regarding the case. Search parties have been sent out to search the forest in Forks and all surrounding areas."

So many thoughts ran through my head. Had she run away? Was she living among the trees? Was she alive? Or was she… dead? No. I quickly changed the channel, shaking my head. This was the last thing that I wanted to hear about right now. I was too tired to even try and figure out what had happened to Lauren.

Aveline was done eating now, so I picked her up and put her over my shoulder, then patted her back softly. She fussed loudly until I had successfully burped her, and once I had, I cradled her back in my arms, and she looked up at me with big, watery green eyes.

"Shh… don't cry…" I whispered. "Baby… shh…"

She started screaming again. I sat there helplessly, trying to calm her down. Her face turned bright red, just as it had last night, and she kicked and hit me with her little arms. I stood up and walked around the entire downstairs, bouncing her with each step. She started out crying as loud as she possibly could, then, slowly, it died down. She had cried herself to sleep.

I rubbed her back slowly, simply standing in the middle of the living room, swaying back and forth. My eyes were closed and my entire body felt exhausted. She was asleep, and that meant that I could sleep as well.

Being careful not to wake her, I walked up the stairs and put her down in her crib. I looked at her for a minute, making sure that she wasn't going to wake up, then fell onto the bed, and snuggled underneath the warm blankets. The sun was beginning to rise outside, but at this point, I didn't care. I took it. Sleep was sleep.

The moment that my head hit the pillow, I was out. I was so tired that I didn't even dream. My body welcomed the rest, and I know that I did too. Getting even the smallest amount of sleep was essential to me right now.

I don't know how long I slept for, but it felt like it had only been five minutes when Aveline started crying from the other side of the room. It took me a minute to wake up, and once I did, I looked at the clock.

"Five hours?" I mumbled to myself, shocked. That was the longest I had slept all week. Aveline, obviously not too happy at the moment, was screaming again. I got out of bed, feeling much better than I had before, and walked over to her crib.

I picked her up and brought her into the bathroom where I set up her little baby bath in the bathtub. The water was a fairly comfortable temperature - not too hot, not too cold - for a newborn baby. I undressed her and put her in the bath, which I know that she hates.

I washed her soft, porcelain pale skin with the super sensitive tear free body wash we had bought not too long ago. She was entirely bubbly, and even though she was crying, she looked so cute. After I rinsed all of the bubbles off of her, I wrapped her in the towel that was sitting on the countertop, and I walked back into our bedroom.

I put a clean diaper on, and changed her into one of the many outfits we had bought - a long sleeved white shirt with a blue dress. But before I dressed her, I fed her again, knowing that her clothes would be ruined if I did so afterwards.

After making sure that Aveline was fed, cleaned, and dressed, I put her down in her crib for a quick minute to change. I didn't shower, even though I really felt like I needed one. I changed underwear, put on a new pair of sweatpants, and a big, comfortable t-shirt. I then picked Aveline back up, and slowly walked down the stairs.

"Bella!" Esme exclaimed with a welcoming smile on her face as I walked in. "How are you feeling?"

"Well…" I began, laughing at how chaotic everything was right now. "I'm doing alright. Exhausted, but good for the most part."

She wiped her hands on the kitchen towel. "The first few weeks are almost always the hardest. You'll get through it, I promise."

I knew that it would get better. It was just very difficult adjusting to everything. I'm not used to the sleepless nights, not going to school, and even the sound of a baby! Despite all of the articles and books I've read to prepare for this, I know nothing about what I'm doing right now. Absolutely nothing.

Esme walked over and took Aveline from me while I got myself a quick something to eat. I poured myself some coffee from breakfast and heated up the leftover steak quesadillas from the night before. Even as I ate, she held her, and even though I had just fed her myself, she fed her one of the formulated bottles we had laying out.

"It's good to feed her a lot." Esme said as she handed Aveline back to me. "She needs the milk so that she can grow."

"Thanks." I said quietly, smiled at her, and walked into the living room, where I comfortably positioned myself on the couch,. I grabbed one of the baby pillows from the floor, and put it on my lap, then comfortably placed Aveline atop of it. She was quiet for the time being. I knew that she was awake, but she didn't make a sound. I looked down at her and she looked up at me.

Now what?

Rather than sitting and staring at each other until Edward got home later tonight, I turned the television back on - ignoring the news next time -, and decided to watch a marathon of some random crime show marathon that was going for the next six hours.

For the remainder of the day, that's exactly what the two of us did. I noticed that Aveline was relatively quiet for the day; possibly tired from screaming all night. Which was good, and bad. It was good because the house was finally quiet, but bad because I had to wake her up to feed her every so often, and change her diaper when needed. This, of course, irritated her, and every time she started crying, I had to pause the show so that I could pace around the house until she calmed down. The thing that did worry me a bit was that she had been sleeping so much during the day, I had a bad feeling that she would be up all night…

Around four thirty in the afternoon, when Aveline had finally fallen back asleep, my phone vibrated. I froze, praying to god that she wouldn't wake up. She stirred, but didn't open her eyes. I sighed in relief, and looked at the new text message from Edward.

_Hey, I just left practice. How has she been all day? I was going to pick up some dinner for the two of us. I'm sure you're hungry._

I texted back with one hand, using my thumb to press the keys.

_She's been pretty good. She slept a lot today, but I had to wake her up to feed her._

I sent that then opened up a new message.

_I'm starving. If you could pick something up, that would be great! Maybe if we put Aveline to bed we can watch_ _movie and have some alone time.. (:_

Knowing that Edward was on the way home instantly lifted my mood. He was also bringing me food. And we might be able to spend some alone time together tonight. It was Friday, so I didn't have to worry about him sleeping away from me, or how sleep deprived he would be at school the next morning. It was just the two of us.

The three of us now.

I looked down at my baby and smiled. She looked so precious and peaceful in her sleep. Soon it would be time to give her another bath and dress her in her pajamas. Maybe tonight she sleep. Maybe tonight we could sleep. Not that I should let my wishful thinking get to me, but it would be nice.

Within the next fifteen minutes, I saw headlights pull up into the driveway, and I knew that Edward home. Excitement washed over me, as I heard his footsteps echo in the chilly November air.

"Bella?" He called.

"In here!" I called back, completely forgetting that Aveline was practically in my arms. She jumped awake, her green eyes flashing open. I bit my lip, feeling so stupid that I actually forgot that she was on my lap. She stretched her tiny little arms and legs, and whined.

Edward walked into the room, looking sweaty from cross country practice. He put the plastic bag on coffee table and walked over to us. He gave me a kiss and positioned himself so he was looking down at Aveline.

"Hi Aveline." He whispered, a smile playing on his lips.

"Look who's home!" I said in a higher pitched voice to Aveline, then looked over at Edward. "She just woke up." I told him, laughing at how she tried to stretch her body. I lightly grabbed the bottom of her foot and helped her pull her legs out. "You've been a good girl today, haven't you?"

Just then, her chest rose, she opened her mouth, and she hiccupped.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, then laughed. "Uh oh… someone has the hiccups!"

Edward laughed too. We both watched as she continued to stretch her arms and legs out wide, then hiccup. Every time she did, her eyes would widen, and she would look around the room as though she were confused. It was adorable.

As much as I wanted it to last, it went away within the next minute.

"So… what did you get for dinner?"

"I almost forgot." He said, reaching over to the coffee table and grabbing the bag of food. He pulled out a container and smiled. "Sushi."

"You know me too well."

"I know." He agreed, and leaned in to kiss me on the lips. "Anyway, I was thinking that we could get her ready for bed and enjoy a very romantic dinner in my bedroom while we watch a movie."

I laughed. "You're so cheesy."

He winked at me. "Are you in, or not?"

I nodded my head. "It's a date."

Edward took Aveline from me, and when he did, I noticed that she had drooled all over the pillow she had fallen asleep on. That meant more laundry to do, but I found it more cute that irritating. With his other hand, Edward grabbed the bag of sushi and walked up the stairs, with me trailing shortly behind him.

While I set up the bath for Aveline, Edward showered himself. He said that he felt disgusting from practice, and I didn't blame him. After running nine miles you should feel like that. So, with Edward only feet away from me in the shower, I grabbed a towel, the same baby soap, fuzzy pajamas, and some nighttime lotion for babies.

"Are you almost done?" I asked.

"Yup. Just getting out now." He said, then turned off the water. He reached his hand out from the curtain and grabbed the towel that hung from the rack. I left the bathroom to go and get Aveline from her crib, and when I came back, Edward was standing there wearing absolutely nothing.

I froze.

I had only seen Edward naked one time, and that was almost nine months ago. We had agreed that we weren't going to be sex crazy teenagers who loved only off of lust. We did what we had to do to get what we wanted: our baby. The moment was still perfect, and I couldn't have imagined it in any other way, but it's not something that either of us think that we need right now. We set our limits to making out, and no further.

Edward acted as though it was no big deal that I had walked in on him like that. He simply smiled and pulled up his boxers, then his sweatpants.

"Bella… are you okay?"

I shook my head slowly, then struggled to get my words out. "Uh… yeah, of course."

He smiled at me again, and I smiled back, still in a bit of a daze. But despite the awkward moment I just witnessed, I managed to push it to the back of my mind and focus on what was happening now… my family. Edward and I washed Aveline together, being very careful when we put the soap on her. He washed what little hair she had while I washed her body.

When I was putting more soap on the washcloth, I accidentally squirted some onto Edward's shoulder. I stared at the glob of clear, baby soap on his arm and giggled.

"Oh, so this is funny, now is it?"

"No…" I tried to stop laughing, but failed at it. "Okay, yes."

"Well, then you're going to have to pay!" Edward said loudly, grabbing the bottle of soap and squirted it all over my shirt. I shook my head, trying to hold back my laughter, but, instead, ended up fighting back. I put some soap on my hands and rubbed it all over his bare chest.

Before he had time to react, I ran out of the bathroom and down the hall.

Sadly, Edward is much faster than me. By the time I reached the staircase, he was right behind me. I squealed when he squirted the remainder of the bottle on my head, and grabbed me by the waist, throwing me over his shoulder like a football.

"Edward!"

"I have officially won this war!" He exclaimed as I beat on his chest.

"No!" I cried. "I want a rematch! It's not fair; you're faster than me!"

"Maybe next bath time." Edward said, putting me back down on my feet. "Come on, we have a baby to get back to, now don't we?"

We had only left her for about three minutes, but it still wasn't a smart move. The moment I got back into the bathroom, I made sure that she was alright. After finding nothing wrong, we finished bathing her.

I handed Edward the washcloth to wipe up the soap from his skin, while I bundled Aveline up in her fuzzy, towel and brought her back into the bedroom to put a clean diaper on her, and change her in her pajamas.

"Why don't you go shower?" Edward suggested.

"I'm fine, really." I said, grabbing a clean diaper and putting it on Aveline.

"With soap all over your head?" He teased.

"I mean… but… it's…"

Edward came up behind me and kissed the side of the forehead. "Go shower. You've had a long day. I'll get her ready for bed and hopefully get her to fall asleep."

I took the opportunity to take a shower. I grabbed a big t-shirt to wear to bed, like I usually did, and went straight to the bathroom, which was already steamy. I turned the water as high as it would go and jumped in.

It had been ages since I had been able to finally appreciate a shower. I could wash my hair, and slowly rub the soap on my body. I could actually stand in the hot water and let it release some of the stress I was feeling.

I stayed in the shower until the water was freezing cold and my fingers looked like prunes. After drying my body off, and getting dressed, I went back into the bedroom, only to find Edward standing by the bed, swaying back and forth with Aveline in his arms.

"Is she having a hard time going to sleep?"

"I think so. She's crying. Not screaming, just crying."

I frowned and walked over to her. Sure enough, there were tears in her big green eyes and her pink lips were puckered out. She was breathing heavily and looked tired.

"Here, I'll take here while you get dinner ready."

He handed her to me and once she was in my arms, I started walking around the room, rubbing her back slowly and kissing her. Edward came over and draped a blanket over her, but said that she was still crying.

"Oh, baby…" I said to her and took a seat on the bed next to Edward. He opened up the multiple boxes of sushi and even pulled the chopsticks apart for us. "Do you think maybe she's hungry?"

Edward shrugged. "Maybe you try feeding her while I go pick out a movie."

I nodded, and he went downstairs to grab a movie. I tried feeding her while he was gone, but she didn't seem to be hungry. I burped her afterwards, and continued to rub her back after I was done.

I grabbed a pillow and set straight in the middle of the bed, then put Aveline on it. I sat on my knees, being careful not to knock over the sushi, and rubbed her belly softly. Tears still rimmed the edge of her eyes, but her breathing seemed to calm down. Whatever I was doing was apparently doing some good to her.

"I grabbed the first thing I could see. How does _Inception _sound?"

"Anything is fine with me." I said softly, with a smile.

Edward set up the DVD, and put the sushi around us. After turning the lights off in the room, he sat on the right side of Aveline, while I sat on the left. He stretched his arm over to my side of the bed, and put it around me. I scooted closer to him and played with his fingers with my hand.

I didn't pay much attention to the movie. I was too focused on the delicious sushi, my wonderful boyfriend, and my beautiful daughter. But the second that the movie was over, sleep was the one thing on my mind. Edward turned the television off, and brought Aveline to her crib, the snuggled back next to me in bed.

I was just beginning to drift into sleep when the screaming started.

Here we go again.

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**And that is the conclusion to the very long chapter one! I hope that you guys liked it. I spent quiet some time on it. I'm hoping that maybe, possibly this story can get more reviews than the prequel? That would be beyond amazing! But, please, tell me what you think! Review… ! Oh, and don't forget to check out the trailer for this story on Youtube; my username is halleyandtaya13. (:**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley.**


	2. Getting Ready

**Whoa, whoa, whoa, **_**whoa**_**. I got a lot of response on the last chapter! That made me so happy - more happy that you guys can even imagine. Thank you! That was so nice of all of you. Seeing all of this interaction with my readers really motivates me to write. Sorry it took so long to put this up. I had some writer's block, and then when it was over, it took FOREVER to write. The beginning of this chapter is kind of boring… or it was boring to write. It gets more interesting! I just have to put a bunch of background information in the first few chapters before the "drama" starts…. I talk too much. Sorry! Anyway, without further ado… here is chapter two. ;)**

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_BPOV  
_

In the two weeks that I had spent with Aveline, I learned a lot about her.

I learned that she typically hates sleeping at night, and would prefer to cry when everyone else is asleep. She doesn't eat as much as people told me babies do - she sleeps throughout the day, as a result of her sleepless nights, and I have to wake her up and feed her, which leaves her cranky. She hates baths, hates having her diaper changed, and loves being held. The only time we've put her down is when we try to get her to sleep; she really is one spoiled little girl.

"Say bye daddy." I said to her on that Friday morning. She was in my arms, trying her best not to fall asleep, but failing. She hadn't slept all night and I had just fed her, so sleep was slowly beginning to take over, which was fine by me.

Edward kissed his daughter, then kissed me, then left for the day.

Once he was gone, I brought Aveline upstairs and put her down in her crib. I decided to take advantage of the quiet time by getting some breakfast and hopefully fit in a short nap for myself.

I quickly changed clothes and threw my hair into a loose bun, then ran back downstairs. In the kitchen already making food was Esme.

"Good morning." I said with a smile.

"Good morning, Bella." She handed me a cup of steaming hot coffee. "How are you?"

"Getting better." I told her. "I'm finally starting to get in the routine of the whole getting no sleep at night, surviving off of daytime naps kind of thing."

Esme laughed, her voice sounding like silver bells. "See, I told you that things get easier. It just takes time. It'll get even better as time goes on." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "But you do know that you're going to have to start a new schedule soon. You're going to have to go back to school soon."

I leaned back into the chair and closed my eyes. "I know."

"When were you thinking about going back?"

"I'm really not sure." I said, biting my lip.

"Well," she began, pouring herself a cup of coffee, "you'll have to go back sooner or later. I know that you don't want to leave Aveline alone all day. It's really hard. But you can't stay at home forever, Miss _Valedictorian_."

As hard as it was to hear, it was true. While my heart lies with my daughter, I have other responsibilities to take care of - things that I've worked too hard to give up on, and with those things came things that I've lost that I need to live up to. It wouldn't be fair to me or her to drop it now.

On the other hand, leaving Aveline just didn't feel right. I knew that she would be more than okay with Esme, and I wouldn't have to worry - although I know that I would -, something in my heart keeps telling me that I just can't go back.

Thinking about all of this made my head hurt. Damn school.

"How does next Friday sound?" I said in a voice that was barely a whisper, peeking at her from my almost closes eyelids.

She smiled at me. "I think that sounds fantastic."

Friday gave me exactly eight days until I went back. Surely that would give me enough time to get everything situated before we tried this new routine of both Edward and I staying up all night with Aveline and leaving for school only hours later. This was going to be a living hell.

As I lifted my cup to take another sip of coffee, a very familiar cry echoed throughout the house. I sighed heavily and pushed my cup away from me, sliding it across the table.

I went upstairs and picked Aveline up from her crib, and started the daily routine that we followed: feeding, diaper change, bath, and, hopefully, rest. She seemed to follow it fairly well, today not being any different than the rest. The two of us ended up falling asleep on the couch watching some show that I had never watched before.

Half of the time I watched TV nowadays, I ended up falling asleep.

We fell asleep around one, and didn't wake up until Edward was back from cross country practice late that night, and woke me up from my peaceful sleep. He took a seat next to me on the couch and put his head on my shoulder.

"I'm going back to school next Friday." I finally said after a long moment of silence.

"Really?" He asked, sitting up and looking at me.

"Yeah." I nodded. "It's been so long, but, I need to get back soon. I've been doing my work and taking tests, but I can't keep going like this for much longer."

Edward kissed the top of my head with sweaty lips.

"But, I would like to get a few things done before I go back. You know, introduce Aveline to people she hasn't met, make a doctor's appointment for her, make sure she has enough supplies for when I'm - "

"Shh Bella, calm down." Edward said. "We'll get it all taken care of. Maybe we could go down to Seattle tomorrow and get some things done. Introduce her to Laura, get some lunch, baby clothes…"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

And it was. Tomorrow morning we would leave for Seattle.

* * *

"…and with the temperatures dropping down into the low thirties today, it's going to be a very cold day for the Seattle area today!" The weather reporter announced on the television. Hearing this made me want to die. I hated cold weather with a burning passion.

So much for dressing Aveline in one of the cute, little dresses we had gotten her. It was far too cold for that. Instead she would have to covered from head to toe in jackets, blankets, hats, and socks.

"Edward, can you get her dressed for me? I still need to shower." I called aloud as I grabbed a towel from the clean laundry.

"Yes, love." He called back.

I quickly jumped into the shower, doing my best not to take too long. I scrubbed my body with the bar of white, Dove soap and massaged the shampoo and conditioner in my hair. I could have stayed in the hot water for hours, but we didn't have that kind of time. Seattle was three hours away and we needed to catch Laura. I got out of the shower, dried myself off, and changed into jeans, a thick brown sweater.

I went back into the bedroom just as Edward was finishing up dressing Aveline. She was wearing a long sleeved, creamy white shirt, with a thick, pink jacket over it. She wore matching, fuzzy pants, along with fuzzy socks, and tiny Ugg boots on her feet. To top it all off, he pulled a hat over her head, that nearly covered her green eyes.

"She looks so cute." I said, smiling. "Did you remember to change her diaper before you put all of that on her?"

"Uh…"

Fifteen minutes later, after we had successfully undressed the now screaming newborn baby, changed her diaper, and redressed her, we were ready to go. The baby bag was packed, the stroller was in the trunk, and the car was running.

Edward put Aveline in her car seat, and we were ready to go.

This was the first road trip we were taking as a family. I looked back at Aveline, who was currently kicking and throwing her little hands against the seat, and smiled. I then looked back at Edward and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.

Aveline cried for the first hour or so, when all there was to look at were trees, trees, and even more trees. But once we had finally reached the city, she calmed down.

We pulled into the parking lot of the all too familiar brick building with the sign that read _Laura's Childbirth & Maternity Classes _- or as I preferred to call it, baby classes. A sudden feeling of nostalgia washed over me as I remembered all of the memories that had happened here. Laura was the very one who had helped flip Aveline when she was breeched; she had also come to the baby shower _and_ helped us with so many things during the pregnancy.

I opened the car door and stepped out, stretching my arms out wide. Edward got out as well and slammed the door behind him. He then opened the back and got Aveline, keeping her in car seat.

I walked over to Edward and grabbed his hand, looking up at him and smiling. He gave my hand a squeeze and we both headed inside.

Walking in, I realized that we were the only people in the room, with the exception of a girl standing in front of the empty desk, her long, dark hair hanging over her tiny shoulder. I looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else here.

"Do you think that she's here?" I whispered to Edward.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Laura?"

The girl standing in front of the desk turned around quickly and spoke in a small voice. "I've been waiting for her for the past twenty minutes. I have to pay my final bill."

I coked my head to the side and stepped forward a bit, squinting my eyes shut. I looked at the girl again and nearly gasped when I put it together. The dark hair, small frame, striking blue eyes… the only thing missing was the bulging bump on her stomach.

"_Violet?_"

The girl opened her mouth and put her hands to her chest, as though confused as to how I knew who she was. Then, her eyes softened, and she dropped her hands, looking more surprised than puzzled.

"Bella!" She called out in remembrance. "Oh, wow, it's been forever!"

We both hugged each other, and I flashed back to the memories I had with her. We had never gotten too close, but she had always been such a sweet girl. We talked about our stories of teen pregnancy, and were able to relate instantly. I had always wanted to talk to her more, but I had never had the chance.

In the middle of the hug, Violet gasped and pulled away. "Is that your baby?"

"Oh!" I laughed. "Yes, she most certainly is my baby."

"She is too cute." She said, walking towards Edward to get closer. Aveline looked at her, her green eyes widening, like they always did when she wasn't sure about something. Oddly enough, she didn't cry. She didn't start screaming. She just sat there curiously.

"Would you like to hold her?"

Violet nodded her head yes and let out a nervous laugh. Edward then put the car seat on the floor and unbuckled her. After slowly lifting her out, he carefully handed her to Violet, who instantly cradled her in her arms.

She looked down at the baby as she spoke. "Dylan is in the car with the baby. He should be coming in any minute now."

"Oh! You're baby. How is he?"

Violet smiled. "Better than I could have ever imagined."

We stood there and talked for God knows how long. It was hard to find someone my age who was going through the same thing I was - the long nights, the judgmental stares, the people who just don't understand… talking to her made me feel normal again. For the first time in nine months, I was actually making conversation with someone outside of the Cullen family.

Even Edward was able to casually jump in on the conversation between the two of us while we waited for Laura to show up. And once Violet's boyfriend, Dylan, came in, he even talked to us as well.

Their baby, Seth, was absolutely adorable.

While they held Aveline again, I got to hold their baby boy for the first time. It's strange how different he was from our daughter - especially since I was convinced that all babies were the same. I was so used to looking down and seeing beautiful, emerald green eyes, but now they were replaced with a set of electric blue eyes. He also more fidgety than Aveline was. While he was nearly in tears, she seemed perfectly relaxed around the new faces.

That was strange to me. Babies were supposed to be afraid of unfamiliar people… weren't they?

"Well," Edward said, looking down at his watch, "I don't know where Laura is, but I don't think that she's going to show up." We had all just finished holding each others babies, and now the two of them sat in their car seats, sitting quietly.

"I guess not." I frowned. I was really looking forward to seeing Laura and introducing her to Aveline. At least it gives me another excuse to drag the family up to Seattle for the day.

"I still think that it's funny how we all ended up here." Violet said.

"Maybe it was meant to be." I played along, trying to sound superstitious, but failing miserably; everyone laughed at my horrible acting.

"Who knows? Maybe it was." She shrugged her shoulders. "But, anyway, we'd better get going. It's time to put Seth down for his nap, and he gets very cranky when he doesn't get his sleep."

The four of us all said goodbye and promised to get together later. Violet and I exchanged numbers and hugged before we parted ways to our cars. We ended up following them out of the parking lot and down the road for a few minutes until we eventually parted ways.

"They're nice." I said.

Edward nodded his head and reached over for my hand. He lifted it up and kissed the top of it, his eyes quickly glancing from the road to my face. I smiled and scooted closer to him, then put my hand on his shoulder and rubbed it.

"How does lunch sound?" I asked him.

"I think that lunch sounds fantastic, love." He agreed. "Where would you like to go?"

"Um…" I looked down the rows and rows of restaurants that seemed to fly by as we drove, looking for the logo of companies rather than reading. As we neared a spotlight, I spotted a place that I knew was good. "…Panera?"

"You read my mind." He joked, then flipped his indicator on.

We pulled into the parking lot of Panera and all got out of the car. Edward, once again, got Aveline out of the car, keeping her in her car seat, and we walked into the restaurant. There were only three people in front of us, so we ordered quickly. I asked for soup while Edward asked for a sandwich, but we both agreed on sharing a large hot chocolate.

While Edward waited for our order, I took Aveline and I found us a small table in front of the fireplace that crackled. I pulled a highchair in the middle of us and locked Aveline's car seat atop of it.

Aveline was looking down, refusing to meet my glance, and kicking her little feet and banging her fists against her seat. I sprung into action and yanked the baby bag from the floor, determined to feed her before the screaming started. My hands fumbled around inside of the dark bag, and I ended up bringing myself to my knees to search for it.

"Blanket… diaper… where is the damn bottle?" I muttered to myself, throwing this around the bag, completely ruining my organization of everything. "Here it is… bottle!"

I snatched it in my hand and shot up, smacking my head against the wooden table.

"Ouch!" I cried.

Aveline continued to kick, only getting more and more restless by the second. I ignored the pain in my head and brought myself back up. I got her out of her seat then sat down, cradling her in my arms, and brought the bottle to her lips.

I knew that she didn't like it; she hated formula. Normally, I wouldn't have made her drink it, but she hadn't eaten anything for quite some time now, and I wasn't about to breast feed her in public with nothing to cover us.

She fought against the bottle at first, but, eventually, her little hands reached for the bottle, and she drank it all. Once she was done, I wiped her face with a napkin on the table, and patted her back.

I had just finished burping her when Edward came back with a tray of food.

"She got hungry." I said, laughing.

He put the food down on the table and squinted his eyes, studying my face. "What happened to your forehead?"

"Oh. I just hit my head, it's really not big deal."

"Bella it's swelling really badly. You need to ice it."

"Edward, it's really - "

Despite my protests, Edward jumped up from his seat and quickly walked towards the register. I fought the urge to bury my face in my hands as he talked to the woman and pointed to me with frantic hands. She held up her finger, motioning to give her a minute, and came back moments later with a bag of ice. I saw Edward smile, and then he walked towards me.

"I think that this hospital thing is really getting to your head." I told him as he handed me the bag of ice. I sighed heavily and pressed the dripping plastic against my forehead.

"Just eat, Bella."

"I can't. I'm holding this stupid bag of ice to my head."

Edward pursed his lips, an amusing look glistening in his eyes as though I was humoring him. He reached forward and grabbed the spoon from my bowl. "Then allow me to help."

I couldn't help but laugh as he brought the spoon to my lips. I opened my mouth and swallowed the boiling hot, French onion soup, trying my best not to smile as I ate - which was proven to be a very hard task.

Once we were finally done eating, I asked Edward if I could take the stupid ice bag off of my head. When he agreed, I immediately dropped it onto the table, and soon felt the warm air dry icy water.

"How does it look?" I asked.

He leaned forward. "Still a little red, but better than before."

"Dang it." I mumbled. "Is there anything else that the doctor prescribes?"

"Hm." Edward hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes as he brushed his nose against mine; his fingertips tracing my jaw line; his lips slowly inching closer and closer to mine. He kissed me once, though I knew that had we been alone, the kiss would have gone deeper; building more passion.

He pulled back, smiling at me softly.

"Ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah." I said, snapping out of my dazed state of mine. "Sure."

We cleaned up our mess at the table, and walked out of the restaurant, with Edward holding Aveline in her portable car seat. Once in the car, he put her in the backseat, then climbed into the drivers seat and started the car.

"What would you like to do now?" Edward asked as pulled out of the parking lot.

Glancing over at the clock, I realized that there was still a good amount of time left in the day. I honestly didn't feel like going to boring, old Forks. Seattle was much more interesting to me. There were more places to go, things to do, people to see, unlike back home where the most entertainment you can get is at a diner on a Friday night.

"Well… maybe we could do a little window shopping… you know, just walk down one of the many strip malls they have."

"Are you not worried about the cold?"

"Well, we did dress Aveline accordingly this morning…" I reminded him, raising my eyebrows and laughing. "And I have a jacket. It'll be fun. We never get to do this kind of thing back home."

"You're right." Edward agreed, nodding his head. "Let's do it."

He drove into the first strip mall that we could find, and parked the car. Edward grabbed the stroller from the trunk of his car, while I wrapped Aveline in her blanket, and put another hat on her head. I kissed the top of her nose right before Edward came back to put the seat in the stroller.

I pushed the stroller while Edward stood by my side, standing so close that his hand would brush against mind every time they swayed back and forth with each of his long strides. I smiled at his warmth and closeness.

We walked slowly, staring into the reflections of the old, vintage shops. Gold jewelry and lace danced across the displays, while old women stood inside wiping the dust off of the unopened books from years and years ago.

Though it was cold outside, I felt warm inside.

Edward suddenly gently bumped my hip, pushing me to the side and replaced my hands on the stroller with his. I stared at him and shook my head, my dark hair falling over my shoulders.

"Come on," he said, smiling, "let's go in."

I looked over at the store, and the second I stepped in, I was immediately overwhelmed by the enormous selection of books. Dimly lighted, and smelling of old books and coffee, the entire room was covered with dark, wooden bookshelves that stretched from the ceiling to the floor.

"Whoa." I whispered, scanning the room top to bottom.

Edward came up behind me and put his hand on my hip. "Look around, love. Take as long as you want. You haven't gotten a new book in ages."

"As long as I want?" I repeated. "Edward, you know how long it takes me to find a book. I'll spend the rest of the day in here if you'd let me."

"I don't mind." He said truthfully. "I'll get us some coffee while you browse."

He turned to leave, but I grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. He turned back around and tilted his head to the side. I fell into him, and wrapped my arms around his neck, barely standing; just letting him keep me up while I loosely stood on my tiptoes. He smiled my favorite crooked smile and brushed a strand of hair out of my face, then leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips.

"I love you." I whispered.

"As I love you." He chuckled.

I kissed him again and looked up. "Now go get me some coffee, please."

"You're wish is my command."

I intertwined my hand with his as he walked away and held onto his fingers until he was out of reach. I rolled my eyes at myself, then turned, focusing back on the thousand of thousands of stories all hiding in the midst of the shelves.

How could I pick one over another? How could I read just one?

I pulled a random book off of the shelf and opened it, coughing as dust flew from the pages. I dusted it off and traced my finger along the fragile pages, murmuring the words on the pages to myself…

_We are walking down the street holding hands. There is a playground at the end of the block, and I run to the swings and I climb on and Henry takes the one next to me facing the opposite direction. And we swing higher and higher passing each other, sometimes in synch and sometimes streaming past each other so fast that it seems we are going to collide. And we laugh and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost or dead or far away. Right now we are here and nothing can mar our perfection or steal the joy of this perfect moment…  
_

I found myself smiling at the happy feeling reading that small paragraph gave me. It reminded me of childhood memories and innocence; young love with a promising future. Though, I also pitied myself for not being able to write something so simple yet beautiful. Maybe one day I would.

I took the book and held it in my hand, then slowly wandered down the aisles and aisles of books. I don't know how long I walked. I took my time, not even looking at any other book. I took in the atmosphere of the store, which, like every other bookstore, made me feel like I was right at home.

Surprisingly, I didn't look at any other book. I took the one in my hand and walked right over to the cash register and, knowing that Edward would be irritated, paid for it myself. I then followed the smell of coffee to the small café in the very back of the floor. On the way there, I passed a selection of brochures that caught my attention. I slowed my pace and stopped, inching backwards a few steps and staring at the folded paper in front of me.

They were all information packages for universities in the Seattle area. I glanced around to make sure that Edward wasn't coming, and looked at the names of all the ones they had available. Most of them were community colleges, which I wasn't interested in, and I knew that Edward wouldn't have been either. One did catch my eye: The University of Washington. I grabbed the brochure and scanned through it.

There were pictures of the campus, which had many flowers and beautiful buildings. They talked about the academics they offered - which included medical school for Edward, as well as journalism for myself -, athletics, and campus. It didn't go into much detail, but a phone number was left, an email, and website.

Going to college in Seattle would be perfect.

It wouldn't be too far away from the chaos of living at home, but at the same time, the three of us would be free from the small town. We could live city life every day, and I know that deep in our hearts - our mine, at least -, we both love that. Being able to leave an apartment and just walk everywhere makes everything seem worthwhile. It makes me feel like there's more to life than grades and school.

I put the brochure in my purse, assuming that they were free to take, and walked over to the café. Edward was sitting at one of the small tables, with the stroller by his side. He was looking at Aveline, who had actually been fairly quiet for most of the day.

"Hey." I said, kissing him and taking a seat.

"Did you find a book?" Edward asked, handing me my coffee. I held it in my hands and took a small sip, enjoying the strong, bitter taste.

"Of course, but, you'd be proud." I reached into the bag and pulled out the book. "I only bought one today."

He nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Why did you buy it yourself? You know that I would have bought it for you."

I sighed. "I'm more than capable of buying things for myself. And, besides, I don't like you spending all of your money on me."

"Please, Bella. By this point, what's mine is yours."

He really was right. We've been dating for four years now, have a baby, and live in the same house.

"Exactly. So, spending my money is just like spending your money." I said, using his own words against him. Edward stared at me, then laughed. I shrugged my shoulders and took another sip of my coffee. The college brochure burned in my purse.

After the bookstore, there really wasn't much left to do. We finished walking the strip mall - went into a few more stores and bought some clothes for Aveline - then turned around and headed back for the car. I myself was beginning to get cold, so I could only imagine how my poor baby was doing. I looked down at her and she was shivering, her little nose bright red. Still, she didn't cry.

I found it funny that here she was, freezing cold, and in the middle of the loud city, not making a single noise, but when the house is dead silent, she screams.

The second we got into the car, I turned the heat on, and the seat warmer while Edward put Aveline in the car and folded up the stroller. He quickly jumped in the front seat and rubbed his hands together, blowing warm air them.

"Damn, it got cold." He said under his breath.

"I know." I agreed, putting my hands in front of the heater, which was spiting out nothing but cold air right now. Edward took my hands and kissed them, the warmth from his lips shooting up my hand into my arm.

"Warm yet?" He asked, rubbing my hands in between his.

"Yes, yes, yes, Dr. Cullen." I teased.

"Good."

The sun was beginning to set in the city skyline in the late November sky. I leaned back in my seat and watched as the city slowly lit up; lights flickering in office buildings, the lights from cars shining this was and that. I had never been in a big city at night time. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

"It's so pretty." I pointed out.

"The city? Oh, I know."

I nodded my head slowly and continued to look out the window as I spoke. "I really love the city… I can see us living in one one day." It was a small subtle hint, that I was hoping he would maybe catch onto.

"I think I can too."

And those five words gave me enough hope to keep me going. I knew that one day, Edward and I would be here, and I would do whatever it took to get us there.

* * *

**There are probably a lot of mistakes because I am too tired to edit right now. Shame on me, but, you guys seemed really eager for chapter two, so I just decided to write, edit a little bit, and post. Oh, and the song "A-Team" by Ed Sheeran helped me write the last part of this chapter… I love that song. I hope that you liked it! Please, please review!**

**I love you guys. (:**

**~Halley**

**P.S. What happened to Lauren will be revealed in all due time. I promise that I have not forgotten about that. ;)**


	3. Unexpected

**Hey guys! So, I'm updating, but I also have a favor to ask of you…**

**I'm a really big Taylor Swift fan. I mean **_**huge**_**. The title of this story is based off of one her songs for goodness sake! But, anyway, there's this contest for her to come to a high school in the United States, and I really want her to come to my school! Do you guys think you could help me out? Message me and I'll give you the link and my school name. (:**

* * *

_BPOV_

Friday came much faster than I had ever hoped for.

I held onto each day, hoping that it would somehow last longer, and that the time to go back would never come, but the days slipped right through my fingertips. Now I was face to face with what I had been dreading for weeks now: school.

The night before, I sat wide awake all night. Even when Aveline was sound asleep, I laid in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, with Edward by my side. A thousand thoughts were racing through my head. I didn't know what to except tomorrow.

Of course there were cons to going back. There was a new principal who was supposed to be really nice and I would be able to catch back up on my grades and classes. But with the good, there came bad. I wouldn't be with Aveline every day, which was devastating to me. I would have to come back to reality and realize that, as much as I hated to say it, right now there was more in my life than just a baby. There was college, money, jobs, school… _everything_.

Or as I like to call it, hell.

I was awake when the alarm clock went off. I quickly hopped out of bed, now having an excuse to get up without being interrogated by Edward at two in the morning, and flipped the light on. Edward rolled over in bed, then sat up, squinting as his eyes adjusted the bright light.

"Morning." He mumbled, kicking the blankets off of his legs.

"Morning." I said back, walking over to Aveline's bed and picking her up. She was awake now, and ready to be fed. While I fed her, Edward got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

He had never been one to take long showers, so by the time I had fed, burped, and changed Aveline, Edward was back in the bedroom dressed in jeans and a long sleeved shirt, with dripping wet, bronze hair.

"Want me to take her while you shower?" He offered.

"Mhm." I said. "That'd be really nice."

Edward walked over to me and took Aveline from me. Before I walked off, he grabbed my arm with the tips of his fingers and pulled me back. Even though I still had disgusting morning breath, he kissed me on the lips and smiled. I smiled back and went into the steamy bathroom.

I wanted to take a long shower. I really, truly did.

But I didn't have the time to. I still had to eat, get the rest of my stuff together, and get to school thirty minutes early so that I could talk to the new principal and tell my teachers that I would be back for the remainder of the year.

I made myself get out of the hot water, and shivered in the cold air outside once I stepped out. I wrapped myself the fuzzy, white towel and dried off my body before dressing in my most comfortable pair of dark wash jeans, and a shirt I had grabbed from the closet. I threw my long hair up in a ponytail and went back to Edward, who was laying with Aveline by his side on the bed.

"Hey."

"Oh, hey." Edward said, never looking up from her.

I plopped down on the other side so that Aveline was in the middle of us, and rested my head on my hand, which was leaning upwards against the mattress. I closed my eyes, wanting to fall into a deep sleep, and possibly not wake up for days… or weeks, even.

"Are you nervous?"

I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Yes. Insanely nervous."

"Baby, there is nothing to worry about. I promise that everything is going to be alright, you just have to believe that too." He stretched his neck over the small gap between us to kiss me again, before whispering that he loved me.

"I love you too."

Glancing the clock, we both realized that we only had fifteen minutes before we would have to leave for school. Edward scooped Aveline into his arms and headed down the stairs, while I grabbed my backpack and followed behind him.

The kitchen of the Cullen house seemed alive compared to the dark, empty bedrooms upstairs. The smell of coffee floated through the room while pots and pans clattered. Alice chattered away on the phone while she shoved books into her bag as Esme emptied the dishwasher.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and managed to shove a granola bar down my throat, no thanks to Edward's nagging of me to eat something, before it was really time for us to leave. My throat got thick as I held Aveline for the last time in seven hours. This was the first time we would be separated since she was born, and that was really difficult to process.

I gave her one last goodbye kiss before I handed her to Esme, and the second that she was out of my arms, she began making a fuss. I bit my lip and stared at her, trying to fight back the urge to take her back into my arms.

"Mommy will be home soon." I told her.

Her green eyes were wide with uncertainty. I kissed her on the forehead again and smiled weakly. I turned my back to head out the door and she instantly began crying, as if she knew that something was going to be different today.

I began walking towards her, but Edward grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"We have to let her learn to cry it out."

"But - "

"Bella." He said, sliding his hand into mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. I sighed quietly, and after looking at my crying baby one last time, walked out of the house with Edward by my side. Alice had left earlier that morning, so it was just the two of us.

The entire ride there, I was shaking with anticipation and nerves. I played with my fingers, which were resting in my lap, and looked out of the window, watching as all of the trees flew by.

It was just school. There was absolutely nothing to worry about. Somehow, the reassuring thought didn't make me feel any better. If anything, it just made me dwell on the endless possibilities.

My heart was about to jump out of my chest by the time we pulled into the parking lot. The sun had only just begun to rise in the foggy, Forks sky while groups of students made their way from their cars to the small school.

You can do this. You can do this.

Edward looked over at me. "Are you ready?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes."

We both pushed the car doors open and got out of the air, stepping into the chilly, morning air. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and shivered, wrapping my arms around my chest.

Edward and I walked through the doors, side by side, hand in hand. I looked around at everyone who was lurking in the school hallways at this time in the morning. Most were at their lockers; some talked with their friends; others stood in the bathroom fixing their hair and makeup. As I passed, people looked at me from the corner of their eyes, trying not to gawk at me.

'Yes, it is me!' I wanted to scream at them. 'The girl with the new baby, the last one to see Lauren Mallory, and your class valedictorian has returned at last!'

Edward walked me to the principal's office, and stopped outside of the door.

"I'll wait right here."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He smiled, and leaned down to kiss me. I kissed him back and nodded my head. After readjusting the strap on my backpack, I stood up straight and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" A female voice called.

I did.

The entire office had been rearrange since the last time I had been in. There was color and life to the tiny room. Pictures hung on the wall, curtains were draped on the window, books were stacked on shelves, and cute, coordinating office supplies sat on the dark, oak desk that a woman with honey blonde hair piled atop of her head sat behind.

She wore thick, black rimmed glasses and wore a ruffled white shirt. The woman looked fairly young to be a principal, especially in a high school. It wouldn't surprise me if she was mistaken for one of the students.

"You must be Isabella."

"Bella." I corrected her, quietly.

The woman smiled. "My name is Ms. Holland. It's nice to finally meet you. Why don't you take a seat?"

I pulled out one of the plastic chairs and took a seat.

Ms. Holland folded her hands and leaned forward in her chair. "So… let's get you back in school."

We talked for the next twenty minutes about everything that had been going on. I explained that I had been keeping up with all of my work, and had done all of the tests, quizzes, and projects as well. It was just a matter of attendance that had been a issue in the past few weeks. She glanced down at her folder as I explained and nodded her head slowly in agreement.

She mumbled quietly to herself as she double checked everything I had said.

"Huh. Well… it looks like you're good to go." She smiled, then pulled out a piece of paper and slid it over to me. "Here's your schedule."

"You changed my classes?!"

Ms. Holland laughed softly. "No, no. just the order of them. I just thought you would like to have some classes with Edward…"

Edward and I originally had no classes with each other this year. It was quite the disappointment because this was our senior year, and we had had at least one class with each other ever since middle school.

"Oh…" I said, not really sure of what to say. "Well, um, thanks."

"Anytime. Now, go on to class, Miss Swan."

I hurried out of the office and back to Edward. He grabbed my arm as I walked down the hall, trying to get away from the stares of every student in the entire school. In small town, word gets around fast. It was only a matter of time before the news about Aveline hit, and now that everyone knew, I was getting more and more looks from people everywhere I went. School was no exception.

I dragged Edward to an empty corner of the school before is stopped.

"How did it go?"

I handed him the schedule and smiled. "See, we have third, lunch, and fifth together now."

His eyes light up as he looked up at me. "Really?"

"Yes!"

Without even thinking, I jumped into his arms. Edward laughed and caught me. I curled my legs up and buried my head into his chest, taking in his sweet scent. I loved him so much. I loved what we had.

I loved _us_.

* * *

The day went by much differently than I had expected it to.

In each class, my teachers were surprised to see me back, yet also excited. Each of them sat down with and talked with me for a little while and asked how I was doing. I told them all about Aveline, and how we were doing.

I still couldn't help but notice the empty seat in math class, and wonder what happened to the blonde girl who used to sit there. The one who tormented me for years. The one who I hated. The one who saved me.

Having those classes with Edward made everything so much better, and I didn't know how I could ever be able to thank the new principal for that. She was so nice and understanding about what had happened, and not to mention much more reasonable than our previous principal. I was so happy that he was gone.

During lunch, I met up with Edward and sat at our usual table; the one by the huge, glass window. I loved sitting by there. Whenever it was sunny, the bright, rays would shine on my skin and lighten my day.

"How has your day been so far?" Edward asked me.

"Pretty good." I said. "I still can't wait to get home and see Aveline… I feel so weird not being with her right now."

He kissed my cheek. "I know. You'll eventually get used to it, love."

"Do you think I should check in with your mom… just to see how she's doing…?" I asked, then grabbed my backpack and turned on my phone. Edward didn't even have a chance to answer; I was already checking my text messages, and, sure enough, there was not one, but three, from Esme. I opened them all.

_Aveline is still crying. It's been almost two hours._

_She hasn't stopped. She keeps getting louder and louder. I've never seen her like this before. I'm getting worried._

_Bella, I think you should come home._

God dammit.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Edward asked, reading my facial expressions.

"Something's wrong with Aveline…" I said quietly. "Your mom wants me to go home right now. She won't stop crying and your mom is panicking and - "

He put a finger to my lips and nodded. "Go, Bella."

"What about - "

"Just go, love. I'll take care of everything. I promise." Edward said, then kissed me, and handed me the keys to his car. I stared at him, not sure of what to do. He literally had to pull me up from my seat for me to get up.

But once I was up, I was gone. I ran to the parking lot and jumped into the car. Edward had never let me drive his Volvo before, and I was afraid that I would break it - or worse, crash. I managed to push that to the back of my mind and focus on something much more important: my baby.

I pulled into the long driveway and parked the car, yanking the keys out of the ignition and throwing the door open. Standing here, outside of the house, and ten feet away from the door, I could hear the ear piercing screams from Aveline. Now in a rage of worry and utter panic, I ran inside.

Esme was standing by the front door, holding my daughter in her arms and bouncing her up and down slowly. Her face was a deep, scarlet red, her cheeks darker than the rest of her face, while tears blotted her green eyes. She wailed loudly and flailed her little arms and legs in every which way.

"She's been like this ever since you left!" She called out over her cries. I walked over and took Aveline from her arms, hoping that maybe the touch from her mother would calm her.

"Aveline, Aveline, Aveline…" I whispered to her, putting my hand on her head and burying her head into my shoulder. She continued on, her voice sounding hoarse from going on with this for so long.

I knew that Esme had already tried everything, but I couldn't help but give it all another shot. I tried to feed her, but she pushed me away. I burped her and nothing happened. I checked her diaper - nothing.

I was clueless. She has never cried like this ever before; even on the nights when I felt like she couldn't scream any louder or stay up for any louder… this was, by far, a million times worse. I just wanted to know why she wouldn't stop, and why she was like this in the first place. Was there something I was doing wrong?

She looked so frustrated and, pained, and helpless. It was killing me that I didn't know why.

"Do you think we should call the doctor?" Esme yelled.

I looked down at Aveline and shrugged my shoulders. "I - I mean - do you - "

"I'll go get the phone." She answered for me.

A sickening feeling crept into my stomach. I felt nauseated and worried sick. I had never prepared myself for this. To be honest, I didn't think something like this _would_ happen. She was born with five fingers and five toes, and that was all I had ever cared about. But something had happened, and now here I am waiting for Esme to get off of the phone with the doctor.

I kissed the top of her forehead and held her close to my chest.

She thrashed in my arms, pushing away from me, and screaming even louder. I let out a long, shaky breath, and tried my best not to cry, but that was hard. I was panicky and worried about my baby, and praying to god that nothing was wrong… that she was just tired, or hungry…

Esme came back in the room, phone in hand, covering the speaker with her palm. She got next to me and literally had to yell, "she wants to talk to you". I shifted Aveline so I was holding her with one arm and managed to hold the phone to my ear with the other.

"Hello?"

"Bella." Dr. Askew spoke calmly, then gasped quietly. "Oh my, I can hear that baby loud and clear. She really is screaming."

"I know." I said, hearing the distress in my own voice. "She's always been kind of loud. She usually only sleeps during the day, and is up all night. I have to wake her up to feed her, and when I do, she's not happy… and it's so tiring… and she's just so loud, and… and…"

That was it. In that moment, a rush of a million emotions came pouring out. The sleepless nights, the screaming, school, the guilt from whatever happened to Lauren - _everything_. I had been trying so hard to keep everything in, but I just couldn't anymore. It was all too much.

"Bella, I need you to calm down." Dr. Askew told me.

Suddenly Esme was behind me with a hand on my shoulder. "Take a deep breath honey, I know, it's hard."

"Why don't you bring Aveline in and we'll see if something's wrong."

_We'll see if something's wrong_. That's exactly what I was afraid of. I didn't want anything to be wrong. I was terrified to find out. Because if something wasn't right, I had nobody to blame but myself.

"Does that sound alright, Bella?" Esme asked.

I was at a loss for words.

Esme took the phone from me and told Dr. Askew that we would be there in the next thirty minutes. She hung up and went to put the phone back on the receiver, then instructed me to get into the car.

I nodded my head slowly and walked like a zombie back outside and to the car. I strapped Aveline, who was getting more and more restless by the minute into her car seta, and slid into the backseat next to her.

Esme was in the car within the next five minutes. She jumped into the drivers seat and back out of the enormously long driveway. I looked over at my baby and softly rubbed the back of my hand. She grabbed my index finger, wrapping her hand around it, and continued on with her crying.

The car ride to the hospital felt long and tedious.

My heart was beating in my chest; echoing in the car; ringing in my ears so loudly that the screams from Aveline were completely droned out. I knew, in my head, that I was overreacting, but in my heart, I couldn't help but freak out like this.

But by the time we finally did arrive at the hospital, I managed to snap out of it. Aveline's face, I noticed, was even bright red than earlier, and she was crying so loudly I was afraid she was going to choke.

I unbuckled her from her car seat, my fingers fumbling with the buckle. Once I managed to get it undone, I scooped her into my arms and rushed her inside, with Esme not a step behind me.

The second we walked in, everyone in the room stopped and stared at the teenage mom and her wailing baby. Their eyes were glued to me, a thousand thoughts racing through their heads. A whisper shot through the room.

_Who is that girl? Why is her baby screaming?_

_Just another teenage mom who can't control her damn baby._

I ignored them. They don't know anything. They think that they do. They think that they can look at me and just jump to any damn conclusion that they want. I've learned that I can't stop people from doing that. I just have to get past it.

A nurse quickly ran up to us and immediately began asking questions. "Is everything alright? What happened? Is the baby okay?"

"We're supposed to see Dr. Askew…" Esme began.

"Oh!" The nurse exclaimed. "That was you. Just right this way."

She led us down the hallway - to the right, and three doors down. Standing in the doorway, ready to see us, was Dr. Askew, who looked exactly as I remembered her. Tall, dark complexion, shinning brown eyes… I reminded myself that it had only been two weeks since we had last seen each other. Whoops.

We were told to take a seat, and we did.

"So, she's still crying. Has it ever been this bad before?"

Esme looked over at me and gave me an encouraging smile. "Um, no." I began, speaking as loudly as I could. "She normally cries a lot, like I said, but this is really excessive, and I'm kind of… worried."

Dr. Askew nodded and wrote down on a piece of paper in front of her.

"You mentioned bad sleeping habits on the phone… and not wanting to eat…" She mused, almost to herself. " Have you noticed any hiccups… fever… spitting up?"

"Hiccups, yes." I thought for a moment over the other two, and eventually shook my head no. She had never had a fever, and I had never seen her spit up before. Dr. Askew continued to write down everything that I was telling her. She then set the piece of paper down on her desk and stood up, straightening the black dress she wore under her doctor's coat.

"Do you mind if I check her out for a minute?" She asked me, motioning her head towards Aveline, who was still screaming in my arms. I nodded and lifted my baby up, handing her to the doctor.

Esme put her hand on mine and gave it a reassuring, motherly squeeze.

Dr. Askew took her to the other side of the room and started doing basic tests. She weighed her, took her length, and listened to her heart. Aveline was giving her a hard time. She was thrashing her legs and kicking with as much force as she could possible muster, while her cries echoed throughout the room.

She lifted her shirt up and pressed down on her pale stomach. She then took her hand and rubbed it softly until Aveline, shockingly enough, slowly began to calm down, and finished the cycle off by picking her up and patting her back gently.

Aveline's ear piercing screams soon faded into a soft whimper. I stared in absolute amazement wondering how the hell she had just done that.

"How did you just - "

Dr. Askew handed Aveline back to me, and I held her, my hand supporting her tiny head. I could hear her now silent cries in my ear, and that only made me hold her closer to me.

She snapped off the gloves she had put on and threw them into the trashcan, then pumped some hand sanitizer onto her hands. She spoke as she rubbed it in. "I'm almost positive that she has colic and acid reflux."

I was familiar with the terms, but I didn't exactly know what they meant. She laughed at the confused expression on my face and went on to explain that colic was severe pain in the abdomen, caused by buildup in the intestines and stomach. Infant acid reflux, though, is simply when acid from the stomach comes back up the esophagus. Both of which are extremely common in newborns, and almost always cause excessive crying.

"How long does it last for?"

"Depends on the baby… sometimes a few months."

A few _months_?

"Don't worry." She reassured me. "There are some things to help that we can do."

She prescribed some medication for the acid reflux, which I really wasn't too sure about. She was just so little! I don't think that I could force her to take something so vile and disgusting. I was told to continue breast feeding her, but was instructed to give her shorter, more frequent feedings, and that I should change my diet to lots of herbal tea and no spicy food.

I should gold her as much as possible, and keep her close, because babies who are carried typically cry less. Rubbing her tummy every so often and listening to calming music are always a must for calming her down.

"Some babies tend to calm down in certain environments. A lot of infants relax in a car… some even stop crying when they hear the fuzzy sound of the television. It all really depends on the baby." Dr. Askew finished off with a smile.

I kissed Aveline's cheek and looked up at the doctor. "Is that all?"

She nodded. "That should be just about it. If you have any questions at all, please just call. I'm always here to help."

"Thanks again." I said, standing up, and repositioning Aveline in my arms. I couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep, but I really didn't care. She was quiet for the first time since she had woken up this morning.

The three of us walked out of the hospital and headed to the car. I opened the back door and strapped Aveline in tightly, realizing now that she was still awake. She looked up at me with hopeless, watery green eyes that instantly made my heart sink when I looked into them, because there was absolutely nothing I could do to help her.

I closed the car door with one hand and turned around to find Esme standing right there with her arms wide open. I fell into her arms, and she held me tightly, letting me cry into her. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a mother who cared.

* * *

**Once again, I didn't edit this, so I'm sure there are mistakes. I have a lot of homework to do, but I REALLY wanted to get this chapter up as soon as I possibly could. But… please review! I have almost fifty reviews and I've only posted two chapters. This is amazing! You guys are so nice. If you really want to make my day, you'd vote for my high school (like I mentioned before). Just message me for details. (:**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley.**


	4. The Classic

**It's about that time of week that I update again! Thank you for all the reviews, story alerts, and author alerts for the last chapter. It really means a lot to me. You guys are just so nice! I have some very dramatic ideas for this story, so be expecting something crazy to be happening within the next few chapters or so!**

**Oh, and this chapter has some hidden inspiration. I had a cross country meet last name and it was called the Twilight Classic. While I was running I got the idea for this chapter and..._ voila_. Haha. Wel, enjoy!**

* * *

_BPOV_

Today was going to be a crazy day - that much I knew.

I was still getting used to the new routine with Aveline. I was trying to feed a her a little bit every two hours, even if it meant waking her up when she had just fallen asleep. This meant that I would have to wake up every two hours as well, which was not fun.

Needless to say that when I was woken up at six in the morning that Saturday, I saw no point in going back to bed. I fed Aveline, who was stubborn about eating, as usual, and burped her.

Edward was still sound asleep in bed. He looked so cute when he's asleep. He almost always sleeps with his left arm on my waist, but every time I get out of bed, he reaches for a pillow and rests his arm on that. He mutters in his sleep sometimes, but isn't a restless sleeper. I feel like he's apart of me. His body has memorized mine in a way so indescribable that we're inseparable. I love waking up and feeling the warmth of his skin against mine… the way his long eye lashes brush against my forehead when he kisses me.

I put her in her crib and plopped on the bed, crawling over to Edward and sitting on his chest.

"Oomph." He said, opening his eyes and looking at me. I smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He laughed as my mouth was against him, and rested his hands on my knees. "Well, good morning to you to."

"You're such a sleepy head." I told him.

"Sleepy head? What is this, kindergarten?" He winked.

"Worse. High School." I patted my hands against his chest three times and kissed him again. He rolled his eyes at me, but I knew that deep down, he agreed with me. "I'm going to my dad's today." I said.

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. I think it'll be a good idea. He wants to see Aveline again anyway."

"I think you should go." Edward sat up and pulled me on his lap. I was still facing him so I looked up into his green eyes and smiled.

"You think so?"

"Yes. I do think so." He gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Don't forget that I have a cross country meet later today, if you were going to come. I'm probably leaving around four."

"I always come to your meets, don't I? Of course I'm coming." It would be the first race that Aveline would be coming to. That motivated me to get her ready for the race and get on with the day.

Edward and I took Aveline downstairs and got some breakfast for the two of us. Tea for me, coffee for Edward. I ate toast, he ate eggs. After eating, we went upstairs and took turns showering. He watched Aveline while I showered, and while he showered, I got her dressed for the day.

It was looking rather nasty outside, so I dressed her for the weather in a pink onsie, with a thick, creamy, knit sweater over it. I put fuzzy socks and light brown Ugg boots on her feet, and pulled a fuzzy white hat over her little head.

I packed her diaper bag, grabbed Aveline, and went out to my truck. Edward was going to stay at home and rest up for his meet, which I was actually thankful for. I wanted to be alone with my dad.

It wasn't a long drive to the house. I pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, taking Aveline with me. I knocked on the door and waited for my dad to answer.

"Bella." My dad with a welcoming smile on his face.

"Hey, dad." I said, shifting Aveline in my arms. My dad was one of those people who rarely expressed their emotions. It was hard to tell if he was sad or tired; angry or jealous. But today he looked happy. His brown eyes lit up and his face seemed to glow. I smiled.

"Wow. She's gotten so big!" He exclaimed, then peered out into the sky. "Come on in, it's looking pretty nasty outside."

I stepped into the small house that I used to call home and looked around. Everything was exactly the same as it had been nine months ago. The table was exactly where it had been before, pictures of myself hung on the walls, the small computer desk was still pushed against the far right wall, and the television was softly humming in the background.

Yet, while it was still the same, it was entirely different.

The coffee stain on the light, oak hardwood floors was gone and new curtains were draped from the sliding glass door. The carpets didn't look as brown as they used to. The kitchen didn't look like an atomic bomb had gone off in it - there was even a fresh coat of paint on the walls!

Everything was clean. It looked _good_.

The house was different, but in a good way.

It was as if when my dad finally realized what was going on with me, he picked everything up. He fixed up the house and himself. That made me feel happy.

"Do you want something to drink?

"Tea. If you have any." I was still trying to follow the diet that the doctor had suggested for Aveline's colic.

My dad stood up and walked into the kitchen to make some tea for me. Once he was gone, I found myself wandering through the house. I felt weird as I walked up the staircase and towards my room. I had been living with the Cullen's for so long now that even thinking about being here with my old bed in my old room seemed strange.

And it _was _strange.

I stared at my empty bed, then my empty dresser. The room felt haunted and abandoned. There were no books piling on the windowsill, no clothes thrown all around the floor, so backpack slung across my desk chair. It was like no one had been here in years.

Aveline stirred in my arms and I looked down at her.

She was awake now and staring up at me with curious green eyes. I brushed my finger across her tiny cheek and walked over to the rocking chair that sat in the corner of the room and took a seat. Deciding that now would be a good time to feed her, I draped a blanket over my shoulder and fed her.

I hummed and slowly rocked back and forth in the chair.

It's funny to think that eighteen years ago, my parents rocked me in this very same rocking chair to feed _me_. It's sad how quickly time goes by. I hardly even remember being a kid. Then again, I do try my best to block those memories out of my mind. My childhood was a mess.

Just as I had finished feeding and burping Aveline, there was a small knock on the door, followed by my dad walking in with a steaming cup of hot tea. I smiled at him as he walked over to me.

"Here you go. Be careful, it's really hot."

"Thanks." I said.

My dad put the tea on the dresser and took Aveline from me. I thanked him again and took the tea, drinking it slowly, still rocking back and forth in the chair with my eyes squeezed shut.

It was so relaxing here. I had forgotten how unusually quiet it was at this house.

"So, uh, how have things been?"

I laughed breathlessly. "Insane." He widened his eyes at me, and I shook my head. "In a good way. Good insanity, I mean. It's nothing I can't handle."

"I know you can handle it. You can usually handle a lot."

"I wonder why." I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, you know that - "

I chugged down a gulp of tea and cleared my throat. "How have _you_ been lately?"

He sighed heavily, and told me. He said that he had been busy with work, and that the entire police department was still looking into the disappearance of Lauren… but still had nothing. He finally learned how to cook something other than toast and had a lot more free time now that they had hired new officers at the station. He still watched football every Sunday. He still went out to eat at the diner. He still fished.

My dad also ask me things, and I ended up telling him _everything_. I thought it would be awkward talking to my dad about these kind of things, but it wasn't. My dad and I have always been close, but I had never went to him for advice. I regret that now. I felt so relieved telling my dad everything that has been going on.

"It's all crazy right now, and it doesn't help that Aveline has colic."

"_Colic_?"

I nodded. "And acid reflux. There's not much we can really do besides some medicine and diet changes." I sighed. "Esme is staying with her during the day while I'm at school. Bless her heart." I laughed.

"Huh." My dad said. "I could maybe help her with that. Aveline could stay with me in the mornings and Esme could come and get her before I leave for work."

"You would really do that?"

"Anything for my two favorite girls."

That meant a lot to me. More than I could ever let him know. He had gone from not wanting anything to do with me or the baby to welcoming the both of us with open arms. That was all I had ever wanted from him: acceptance.

I stared down into my empty tea cup and traced my finger along the golden rim.

"Well, we should probably get going. Edward's race is in a little bit."

My dad nodded and handed Aveline back to me, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay. I'll see you soon, then."

"Of course."

My dad walked the both of us both out to the car and helped me strap Aveline into her car seat. Once she was finally buckled in, I hugged him, and got behind the wheel. My dad stood on the porch, watching as I pulled out of the driveway. I waved to him one last time before I was out of sight of him and the house.

Truth be told, it was nice to see my dad again. I had forgotten how much I had missed him.

On the drive back, I listened to the radio. Every so often, my eyes would dart to the mirror, where I saw a reflection of Aveline in her car seat. She sat quietly in her car seat, and I was happy for that. She was up all night last night screaming.

I didn't even have time to go inside when we got back. The second I pulled into the driveway, Edward standing next to his Volvo in his cross country uniform ready to go. I pulled the keys out of the ignition and got out of my truck.

"I was just about to call you." Edward said. He walked over and kissed me. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah." I said, even though it would have been nice to step inside for a minute. "Just let me switch over the car seat. You got the stroller, right?"

While I put the car seat in Edward's Volvo and checked to make sure that Aveline's stroller was in the trunk, Edward stood at the top of the driveway and stretched for his race which wasn't for another two hours (had to get there early to watch the girls and the boys junior varsity run). He'd never admit it, but he only does this when he's nervous.

I would be nervous if I were him. There were over forty other schools at this meet, as well as a couple of college scouts from universities all over Washington.

"Edward." I said, slamming the trunk shut. "Ready to go?"

He nodded and jogged over to the car, then got in.

Twenty minutes into the ride, I looked over at Edward. He was staring straight ahead at the empty road, his lips quickly moving as he murmured the lyrics to the song on the radio. I reached over and put my hand on his knee, squeezing it lightly.

He looked over at me and smiled.

"You're going to do great, I promise."

"Oh, thanks." Edward said, sounding unsure.

"Really." I reassured him. He opened his mouth to say something - deny me, maybe - but I shook my head. He glanced over at me from the corner of his eye, watching as I unbuckled my seatbelt and sat on my knees.

"Bella, what the hell are you - "

I leaned forward and grabbed his face. His eyes were on the road, but he would ever so often glance over at me, wondering what I was doing.

"You are going to run amazingly today." I told him. "You're going to PR or whatever the hell you call it. You're going to have every college scout there looking at you. Okay?"

He looked over at the road then back at me. "Okay."

"Okay." I said, letting go of him and sliding back into my seat.

"Way to set the example for Aveline." Edward teased.

"Ha ha." I laughed sarcastically.

Edward seemed to have calmed down. He wasn't holding a death grip on the steering wheel anymore, and his body looked relaxed. I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek then turned the radio up loud and sang along with the song on the radio.

The meet was packed.

We had to wait to get in, and once actually got in, we had to find a parking spot in the sea of cars and people. That alone took another fifteen minutes. On top of that, we had to park, get the stroller out, and make sure that Aveline was warm in her stroller. The sky was looking dark and gloomy. I was almost positive that it was going to pour.

Edward ran ahead to go meet up with his team and warm up while I got my spot at the start line. I loved watching the start of races. It's an antagonizing moment of silence, then once the gun goes off, everyone is yelling and going crazy. I know that Edward hates that part. He says it's so nerve wracking… especially at big meets like today.

I looked around for someone that I knew - someone I could talk to, but saw no one. I rubbed my hands together, suddenly wishing I had brought a jacket to wear. The temperature was dropping by the second.

Fifteen minutes later, all of the runners took their places at the starting line. Coaches were holding last minute team meetings, people were praying, some were fixing their shoes. It was mass chaos until everyone was called up to the line.

"Runners take your mark!" The starter yelled. He held the up in the air. Everyone was silent. Nobody dared move. "Set… go!"

The gun was shot up in the air, and the runners took off, Edward immediately leading the pack. I clapped my hands together and cheered loudly, my voice lost in the packed crowd of people.

I walked around the course, pushing Aveline in the stroller wherever I went. I obviously couldn't keep up with Edward and cheer him on the entire time, but whenever the group of runners would dart by, I would stop and cheer. In the end, I went straight to the finish line to wait for him there.

I parked the stroller in the grass and, after checking to make sure that Aveline was tucked in with her blankets, stood with my hands in my pockets.

"Hi, Bella." Someone said.

I turned and immediately recognized the new principal of our school, Ms. Holland, standing next to me. Even though she was dressed in jeans, boots, a long sleeved shirt, jacket, hats, gloves, and a scarf… she looked absolutely freezing. Her cheeks looked burnt from the wind; her hair damp from the little rain that was beginning to fall from the sky.

"Hi, Ms. Holland."

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Oh, my boyfriend runs cross country so I come to almost all of his races to support him." I told her with a smile. "He's not done running yet, though."

She nodded, her honey blonde hair bobbing on her head. "I'm a runner so I thought it'd be a good idea to come out here… I try to come to most of the sporting events."

I simply nodded and looked at the finish line, which no one had crossed yet. The clock was ticking and the bright red numbers were going up as time went by. It read fifteen minutes now. Edward would be coming soon.

"Is this your baby?" Ms. Holland asked, looking down at the stroller.

"Yes." I nodded, smiling. "That's Aveline."

"That's a pretty name." She said. "I have a son at home. His name is Ian, but he's much older than her. He's seven."

"Wow. I wouldn't have even guessed that he was that old."

She smiled at me. "I know… it doesn't really add up." She laughed. "I got married really young and we had a kid. We were happy… you know, we were a family. I mean, I'm happy now… it's just different without him here."

"Oh."

"After my husband died, I…" Ms. Holland paused for a moment. "I had to leave. So, I came here, and it's just my son and I now. I love him more than anything."

I had no clue why she was telling me this. Maybe because she saw a connection between the two of us - both mothers at a young age. Or the sense of having someone who understand her. Or maybe she was just trying to make conversation.

I didn't really know what to say -she was my principal, not my best friend -, so I didn't say anything at all.

There was a sudden burst of cheering from the other side of the crowd. My head snapped up and I looked around, only to find Edward sprinting towards the finish line, neck-in-neck with a boy from another school.

Everyone went wild. Half of us were screaming for Edward, the other half screaming for the boy in the red uniform. I stood on my tiptoes and jumped up and down, cupping my hands over my mouth to cheer even louder.

Edward swung his arms and widened his stride. Everything was happening in slow motion and it was hard to tell what was happening. I stared at their feet, the clock, their bodies.

"Sixteen thirty two!" The announcer yelled as Edward ran through the finish line. He stumbled and fell onto his knees, putting his hands over his head for more air. I had never been more proud of him in my entire life.

I excitedly pushed the stroller as fast as I could over to the tent where the team was set up. A few girls from the varsity team were waiting around and stretching, but Edward wasn't here yet. He was standing a little off to the side talking to someone wearing a purple jacket that read Washington on it.

I froze.

They two of them continued to talk. After a minute or so, they shook hands, and the man walked off. Even more anxious now, I asked one of the coach's to watch Aveline for a quick second, then ran off to Edward.

He was hot and sweaty, and breathing hard, but I didn't care. I jumped onto him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He hugged me back, still out of breath from his run.

"I am so proud of you!" I said, kissing his cheek.

Edward simply nodded, then closed his eyes and put his hands over his head again.

"Edward… why don't you sit down." I told him. He didn't answer. I grabbed his elbow and pulled him down onto the damp grass and handed him his water bottle. He chugged down the entire thing, then panted slowly.

He still looked absolutely exhausted. While I waited for him to catch his breath, I went back and brought Aveline's stroller over, and took her out, holding her in my arms. She looked a little frustrated and I knew it was only a matter of time before she started crying.

After another minute or so, Edward looked up at me and smiled.

"You were right." He said.

"I'm _always_ right." I teased, then leaned in to kiss him again. "But who was that talking to you a while ago? A college scout?"

"Oh, yeah, it was. He just wanted to talk to me and said that he'd call me in a little while. I think they want me on the team!" Edward explained.

"That's great! What school?"

"University of Washington."

Trying to hide my excitement, I looked down at Aveline and handed her to Edward. "Say good job, daddy!" I told her. She stared at me blankly and I sighed. Edward laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"I don't think she's quite there yet."

"But she will be."

"Yes. Someday she will be."

Just as we were getting ready to leave, some guys from the team asked us if we wanted to go out for pizza with everyone else. I looked down at my watch. It was around seven, which wasn't too late for Aveline. If I fed her while we were there and we left a little early, we would be able to pull it off.

I told them yes, and Edward and I went to the car to meet them at the pizza place, which was packed with other schools who had the same idea of eating after the race. But since our team was smaller, everyone squeezed into two booths. I sat on the end so I could put Aveline right next to me without bothering anyone.

She was on the verge of tears, and I knew that she was about to start screaming any minute now.

"What kind of pizza do you want?" Edward asked.

I looked onto his menu. "You know me… I don't like anything fancy on my pizza." I kissed him. "Get whatever you want. I'm going to go to the car and feed Aveline."

"Alright, love." He kissed me and I got up and walked to the car.

I turned it on and sat in the backseat. After rummaging through the diaper bag for a few minutes, I pulled out Aveline's blanket and draped it over my shoulder. I tried to feed her, but she pushed me away, just like she always does when she's fussy.

"Aveline… please, baby…"

She started crying. I put the blanket down and held her against my chest, rubbing her back slowly. She cried even louder, her wails echoing in the small car. I whispered in her ear and lightly bounced her up and down.

With my free hand, I reached into the diaper bag and pulled out the medicine that was prescribed to her. I hadn't used it yet. I was too afraid to give it to her. But looking at her and looking at how miserable she was, I decided that I would give it a try.

She didn't like it. She fought against it. I had to hold her head in order to get it in her mouth and down her throat. After she swallowed it, she screamed even louder. Her face was bright red, she kicked, and tears welled up in her eyes.

I put the medicine away and held her against my chest once again.

"It's okay, baby." I whispered. "I know, I know, baby. It's okay."

I leaned forward and turned on the music - a CD. The first one that Edward had in his car. I waited for it to load and leaned back in the leather seat, patting Aveline's back slowly. The second that the music started, I froze. The beautiful sound of the piano. The warm, lovely melody.

It was the piano piece that Edward had written for Olivia.

I fell back into the seat and held Aveline to my heart, happy that she was here with me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, just like my baby. I didn't care that she was screaming. I didn't care that I was tired. I didn't care how stressful things were.

My baby was here and I loved her.

* * *

**I'm really bad at this whole editing thing… I spend so much time writing these chapters that by the time I finish, I just want to post it! I skimmed over this chapter, though, so I hope there are no major errors. ****For those of you who don't know who Olivia is… I suggest reading the prequel to this story! People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine. But, thanks for reading! This chapter took most of my afternoon to write. ****Before I go, I want to thank an anonymous review LC for this chapter. She (or he) has been very thoughtful on all of their reviews, and encouraged me to bring Charlie into this story again. So… thank you! Thank you to all of you. (:**

**Love, love, love,**

**Halley.**


	5. The Ride

**I've had such a busy week this week, but I really have been trying to update! I have a lot of really dramatic ideas, but I can't just pop them out of no where. So, please bear with me for the next few chapters or so. If anyone has suggestions, that would be nice! I'm also experimenting with my writing style. I don't know if it will be obvious or not, but if you notice a change, that's why! But, thank you for all the reviews last chapter. That was nice of you guys. (:**

* * *

_BPOV  
_

Saturday evening I went back to my dad's house again.

It was really nice spending time with him again. It felt so easy to talk to him now - more so now than before, which was strange… in a good way. I liked it. He was so open to everything. Open to me, open to Aveline, open about himself… it was good.

After an hour or so with my dad, I went back home.

I went upstairs to our room and saw Edward on the phone. He was pacing back and forth in the room, talking softly into the speaker. I stood in the doorway waiting for him to finish with my eyebrow raised.

"Who was that on the phone?" I asked, bouncing Aveline in my arms once he was finished.

Edward put the phone down on the dresser and turned to me, stretching his back out. "Oh, um, it was the scout from Washington."

"As in the University of Washington?" He nodded. "Wow, that was fast."

It had only been a week since the cross country meet when the scout came up to him.

He yawned and sat on the bed. I could see how tired he was. The exhaustion was written all over his features - paler complexion, bags under his eyes green eyes, and a dull look on his face. I know I should let him sleep, but I wanted to know more about the scout.

I put Aveline down in her crib and sat next to him on the bed.

"What did he say?"

Edward smiled weakly. "Can it wait until morning?"

"Please?" I asked, stretching out the syllables in each letter.

He sighed. "It's a really long story, and there are some things we'll have to discuss after I tell you. I don't think that making a decision on three hours of sleep is a good idea."

Aveline was up all night last night. Every time we thought she had finally fallen asleep, she would start screaming again. We tried taking turns staying up with her, but her crying was just too loud. It was a sleepless night for everyone in the Cullen house last night.

I blew a piece of hair out of my face. "I guess not." I mumbled.

"That's my girl." Edward said and kissed me on the cheek. "Let's get to bed."

The two of us got into bed and snuggled under the warm blankets. It was freezing outside, and cold in the room, but warm under the sheets. I pressed my icy feet against Edward's warm skin and brought myself closer to him. My feet are always cold when I get into bed and I don't know why. A lot of times I put my feet against Edward to warm myself up - or just to annoy him.

"Damn. You're feet are cold." He whispered.

"I can't feel my toes!"

Edward chuckled under his breath.

"I'm not kidding."

"Let me warm them up for you, then."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to his chest - so close that I could feel his breath lingering on my neck - and intertwined our legs so that my feet were underneath his. I closed my eyes and sighed happily.

I was warm and happy. I should have been able to snuggle next to Edward and drift off into sleep without a problem. But despite how exhausted and sleep deprived I was, I couldn't find the energy to fall asleep.

Of course the one night when Aveline is sound asleep is the night I can't go to bed.

"Edward?" I whispered.

"Mhm?" He mumbled sleepily.

"I love you."

When he didn't answer, I knew that he was asleep. His breathing deepened and his grip on my waist was soft, like he was barely touching me. I wanted to turn around and face him, but I couldn't. Not without waking him up.

I let out a long exasperated breath and waited for the morning to come.

* * *

Sleep eventually came to me. In the very early morning hours I closed my eyes for what seemed like a second and opened them back up to the dull sun pouring in through the window.

Edward was so longer snuggled up next to me like he usually did. He had sprawled himself across the bed, laying on his back with his arms on either side of him. His head was tilted back, like he was staring up at the ceiling.

I shook my head, smiling a little bit because he even like that he still look adorable, and silently pulled myself out of bed.

The cold morning air hit me without warning. I shivered and tiptoed to the dresser, where I pulled a pair of fuzzy socks onto my feet, and one of Edward's hoodies over my head. I put my very long and very thick hair into a ponytail and walked over to Aveline, who was sitting nicely in her crib.

"Good morning, baby." I said quietly.

She reached for me, putting her little arms in the air.

I laughed and picked her up. After changing her diaper, I went downstairs to get breakfast for the two of us and to give her her medicine.

I decided that as much as I hate giving Aveline her medicine from the doctor for her colic, it was helping. Last night was a perfect example. She slept through the night without screaming like a banshee. She doesn't like taking it, and I don't like giving it to her, but at least it's doing something for her.

Esme was downstairs making breakfast. It was Sunday so she was making pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and toast, just like she did every week.

"Morning." I said as I walked in the kitchen.

"Morning Bella." She flipped a pancake. "Your tea is on the table and breakfast should be ready soon. Is Edward awake yet?"

I shook my head. "He's passed out."

Esme rolled her eyes. "I figured. He had a long day yesterday. They ran nine miles at cross country last night."

"Nine?" Damn. "Well, make sure to make extra pancakes then. He's probably going to eat four servings of food just to make up for that."

She sighed and grabbed the box of pancake mix. "I'll have to make extra, extra then because Rosalie and Emmett are coming over for breakfast."

It had been forever since I had seen either of them. Rosalie was one of my best friends. She was out of college and working, now even married to Emmett, but that didn't seem to do anything for our friendship. She was still the same protective and gorgeous girl I had always known.

Alice was my other best friend, and also Edward's sister. She was short, tiny, and full of energy. Her girly persona gives a ditzy appeal to her, but that's not bad because it's true. She loves shopping, makeup, and the color pink, all of which I could do without. Despite our outrageously different personality, she's somehow still my best friend.

"Yeah, I'd probably make that much food too. Do you need any help?" I offered.

"Well," she began, "you could make some bacon and sausage, if you'd like. I could use all the help I can get. No need for an angry mob of hungry teenagers nagging at me for food."

"Just let me take care of Aveline really quick."

I carried Aveline into the living room and sat on the couch. Like our normal routine, I draped a blanket over my shoulder and fed her. Since we were continuing to feed her less food more frequently, I stopped feeding her after a few minutes. She whined, not happy that I had done so.

I kissed her forehead and patted her back, burping her.

After she was done eating, I grabbed her medicine from the kitchen and got it ready. The pink liquid quickly filled into the medicine dropper. It smelt disgusting. I couldn't believe I was giving this to her.

Supporting her head and holding it so she shouldn't flinch away, I put the dropper into her mouth and slowly squirted a little bit down her throat. She coughed and immediately started crying. I rubbed her forehead with my thumb while I waited for her to calm down a little bit before giving her more of the nasty medicine.

By the time I had finally finished giving her her medicine, she was wailing. I cradled her in my arms and rocked her back and forth, holding her as close as I possibly could. Her crying eventually faded to whimpering, and I knew that she was going to be okay.

Now that she was all taken care of, I put her into her baby bouncer and, carefully, carried it into the kitchen. I set it on the empty kitchen countertop so I could watch her while I cooked.

I pulled the bacon and sausage out of the refrigerator and slapped them onto the frying man. The meat sizzled in the oil, and sparks of it were flying this way and that. I quickly turned the temperature down from high to medium so no one would get burned.

In the end, I ended up making two packs of bacon and three packs of sausage. I put them all on a plate, then put the plate in the oven so they wouldn't get cold.

"Do you need help with anything else?"

Esme bit her lip and looked around. "No… I think I'm good. Thanks, Bella."

"Anytime."

I carried Aveline back upstairs and into our bedroom. Edward looked like he had just woken up. He was sitting on the bed, blankets tangled at his feet, with a lost look on his face. He ran his hand through his messy bronze hair and yawned.

"Still tired?"

Edward looked up at me and smiled. "Not tired, jut a little sore." He stretched.

"I hope you're also hungry. Your mom is downstairs cooking enough for the entire city." I sat down on the bed next to him and put Aveline in the middle of us. She lied on her back, staring up at the two of us with green eyes.

"God, yes. I'm starving."

"I knew you were going to say that." I said and I kissed him even though we both had morning breath. My eyes were closed and our noses were pressed together. I opened my eyes and looked at him, smiling. He was so perfect.

"Hi." I said.

"Hey yourself."

I laughed and let my head fall back. Edward looked down at Aveline and grabbed one of her tiny feet. She thrust her legs forward, trying to kick him. He smiled and let go of her foot, then kissed her on the forehead.

"So… are you ready to tell me about the college scout?" I asked hopefully.

"Impatient little girl."

"Yes, I am impatient." I admitted. "But I'm curious. I want to know what you guys were talking about."

Edward was quiet for a moment. I couldn't tell if it was because he was upset or just trying to put his thought process together. I held my breath and crossed my fingers behind my back.

"He offered me a full ride scholarship."

A full ride scholarship. A _full ride_.

My heart pounded in my chest. I was completely speechless. He had been offered a full ride scholarship to college. We wouldn't have to pay anything for his school.

"Edward!" I squealed and threw myself at him. He, not expecting my reaction, stumbled a little, then laughed and held me in his arms. I rested my head on his shoulder and gripped onto his back tightly. "That's amazing, baby." I kissed the side of his face. "What else did he say?"

He pulled me back so I could see his face, but still held me in his arms.

"He said that they really want me at their school because of my cross country times and my grades." Edward explained. "So they offered me the full ride, but he still wants to meet with me sometime soon to discuss things."

I put my hands on his face and kissed him. He placed his hands on the small of my back and smiled.

"Is there anything else?"

"Not really." He said. "I just can't believe this. This is amazing." Edward paused and looked down at the bedspread then back up at me. "…is this somewhere you'd… consider going to college?"

I smiled and told him that I had secretly been hoping on going to that university. I told him about the brochure I picked up at that book store in Seattle and how excited I was when I saw the college scout at that meet the other day. I told him how much I loved the city; how real it felt there, how it made everything seem a little better than it actually.

Even in the short visits I've made there, I've seen the difference from small town life. Here, practically everybody knows all of your dirty little secrets. There, everyone could care less. They go on about there day barely noticing you. I like that. I feel like I can actually breathe.

I was kind of surprised when Edward agreed with me.

Maybe we'd both been living the small town life for too long. Maybe we both needed a break from it.

"So… do you think I should apply?" I asked.

"I think that'd be a good idea."

I nodded my head and he tucked my hair behind my ear.

I couldn't believe that this was happening. Things seemed like they were finally starting to work out for the two of us. We lived through hell for months and months, and now that hell coming to an end. We have our baby, each other, and a future.

Esme called from downstairs that breakfast was ready. Edward kissed me softly and I pulled myself off of him. He picked up Aveline and started for the door. I followed behind him, holding onto his arm.

Everyone was already here.

I saw Rosalie and ran up to her. She squealed and pulled me into a big hug.

"Bella! Oh my god, how are you?" She asked, shaking out her long, golden blonde hair. Her blue eyes popped out against her dark makeup, her red lips bright in comparison so her perfect skin. "How's the baby?"

"I'm doing great." I said truthfully. "Edward has her."

Rosalie went over to Edward and held Aveline. She stared down at the baby as if she was her own. I knew that Rosalie would be a good mother. She had always wanted to be a mother. She even majored in early childhood education and is working at a preschool right now. It just hasn't happened yet.

While she held Aveline, I talked. I told her about the colic and the acid reflux, the medicine, how loud she screams almost every night. She cooed over the baby, smiling, and staring into her green eyes. Aveline looked up at her trying to recognize the unfamiliar face.

Emmett held her too, and I nearly had a heart attack when he bounced her up a little too high.

Eventually we all took a seat around the table. Even Alice, who stomped down the stairs unhappy that her beauty sleep had been ruined. Her short, pixie like hair shot out in different directions and her usual perky face looked dead and tired.

"Don't talk to me. I haven't had coffee yet." She grumbled and everyone laughed at her sour attitude. She had never been much of a morning person.

We all passed food around the table and talked. Carlisle talked about work and even added in some insane stories about his patients - someone thoroughly convinced that being on a diet of entirely McDonald's for all three meals was beneficial, and of course some people who were a little on the crazy side always made a great story.

Esme talked about how she was helping pick out flowers for a wedding of an old friend she had. Alice sulked and sipped on her coffee. Emmett stuffed his face with food.

"We have an announcement to make." Rosalie said halfway during the meal. Everyone stopped to look at her. Her eyes flickered over to Emmett and she smiled.

"Holy shit. You're pregnant." Emmett said.

Rosalie blinked. "No."

Everyone awkwardly looked at each other for a moment before she went on.

"Emmett applied for a job in Chicago a few months ago." Emmett works with cameras which is pretty cool. He goes to a bunch of sporting events and controls when and where which camera should be. It happens live. There aren't many games in Forks so a lot of times he ends of traveling or helping with things for the local news. "Well, he got a call back the other day and he got the job!"

Esme looked at her son. "Emmett, why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "I didn't think I'd get the job!"

"But he did." Rosalie smiled. "We're moving to Chicago. I've already applied for a job at a daycare and we've been looking at houses."

Rosalie had been known to do things on the spur of the moment but this was a little ridiculous. All of a sudden up and moving to Chicago? I was happy for her and I was excited that she was moving up in the world but it just seemed so unreal. I don't even remember what's it like to not be able to call her up whenever I need someone to hang out with.

"When are you guys leaving?" Esme asked sounding uneasy. She loved her kids to death and I could tell that she wasn't sure about her oldest son being halfway across the country.

"May 24th."

"That's the same night as graduation." I pointed out.

"Okay, okay." Esme took a deep breath.

"We'll work it out when the time comes." Carlisle said, reassuring his wife by putting his hand on hers and giving it a gently squeeze.

"Edward has something he wants to say, too." I announced.

He looked at me hesitantly, like he didn't know what to say, or how to say it. I grabbed his hand under the table and smiled at him encouragingly. He took a deep breath and met the eyes of everyone in the room.

"I got a full ride to the University of Washington for cross country."

Esme gasped and covered her face with her hands. Tears flooded her eyes and she stood up from her seat and wrapped her arms around Edward. Carlisle smiled in approval from the other side of the table and told him how proud he was. Alice even perked up and ran over to join her mother in hugging him.

"Oh, Edward… I told you it would pay off." Esme wiped her eyes. "This for sure calls for a celebration. Tonight we're all going out for dinner."

Everyone cheered.

Seeing how happy everyone was made me feel happy too. I looked over at Aveline, who was sitting in her baby bouncer on the floor, picked her up, and handed her to Edward. There was a sudden flash, and I turned. Alice was standing there with a camera snapping pictures of us.

"Smile!"

I leaned in close to Edward and smiled at the camera.

Once the excitement died down a bit, Carlisle look at the both of us. "So what is your plan? You're going to the same college, I assume."

I nodded. "Of course."

"Bella was going to start filling out her application today."

"Today?"

"Today."

Carlisle leaned forward. "I'm really proud of the two of you. You've done so well with all of this. You deserve this."

That hit hard. I felt like crying from pure joy. Knowing that all of our hard work and determination had finally gotten us somewhere made me feel good. It made me feel like the endless nights of studying were worth it. Or dealing with judgmental people. Everything was worth it.

Esme told us that she would clean the kitchen my herself, so Edward and went back upstairs, me holding Aveline in my arms. I checked the clock and realized that it was about time to feed her again. I sat on the bed and started feeding her while Edward pulled out his laptop and sat next to me.

He typed in his password, which I knew, and logged on. His desktop wallpaper was a picture of the three of us in the hospital. My hair was messy and I looked exhausted. But behind the exhaustion, there was happiness. Edward's arm was around me, and he looked into the camera, looking more excited than tired.

That was a good memory.

He brought google up and typed in "University of Washington Applications 2013" and printed them out. He left the room. By the time he came back, I was burping Aveline, and he was holding a huge wad of papers in his hand.

He held up a pen and looked at Aveline. "Let's trade."

I sighed and handed him the baby. He gave me the pen. After putting Aveline down in her crib, he sat next to me on the bed.

"Do we really have to fill this out now?"

"The sooner you get it in the sooner you get a response."

Damn him always being right.

Since this was the first college I had applied for, I didn't know what to expect. But much to my surprise, the questions on the paper were fairly simple. They asked what year I was going into, Freshman, along with some personal information. Date of birth, age, legal name, parent(s) you live with. I filled them out no problem, but when it came to what I wanted to major in, I froze.

I'd always loved English. It had been easy for me, and had just been one of those classes I always looked forward to going to. But did I want to _major_ in it? I didn't even know what jobs you could get as an English major. Not many.

Writing was fun, but journalism was limited with job options too.

I bit the end of the pen and hesitated.

I put English down as my major, and journalism down as my alternative major.

Edward helped me fill out some of the application, but not a lot. He was mostly there to stop me from taking a break every fifteen minutes. But within a solid few hours, the application was finished. I wrote a check and slid it into the manila envelope that was required for sending off applications.

It was ready to be sent off.

I looked down and fiddled with my fingers.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"What if I don't get accepted?" I asked. "What if they - "

He put a finger to my lips. "Isabella Swan. Of course they will accept you. You're valedictorian, a scary high GPA, president of the Nation Honors Society, Beta Club…"

"Okay, okay, I get it."

Edward smiled. "See? And there's so much more. There's no reason you should not get in. They'd have to be blind not to."

"You think so?" I asked in a small voice.

"I know so."

He tapped the tip of my nose and pulled me into his arms. I hugged him never wanting to let go. Edward was so supportive of me. I felt like he was one of the few people I know who has faith in all of my decisions. I know that he always has my back no matter what I do. I know that he's on my side even when I'm wrong. And that's why I love him.

"I'm going to put this in the mailbox."

"Want me to come with you?"

"You stay here with Aveline." I kissed him. "Thanks."

I walked outside into the chilly November - almost December - afternoon air. The sun was shining but I couldn't feel it. A cold breeze swept by, and I shivered, rubbing my arms with my hands. My breath lingered with each exhale.

I reached the brick mailbox and hesitated for the second time today. I took one last deep breath and put the application into the mailbox, the fate of my entire future resting within.

* * *

**End chapter! I typed twelve pages but this is not even five thousand words. That irritates me, haha. Thanks for reading. It means a lot! Don't forget to review! And if you were interested in helping Taylor Swift come to my school… message me/mention in your review! (:**

**You guys should be halfway proud of me. I halfway edited this chapter! The rest I just skimmed over... I know, it's a really bad habit. Especially as a writer. :/  
I'm getting better. Maybe next chapter it will be fully edited. **

**Xoxo,  
****Halley**


	6. Dirty Little Secret

**Massive writers block for this chapter. You really have no idea. It's been giving me this killer headache because there's something I want to introduce into the story, but it's way out there (you'll see). I'm afraid that we've taken a dark path in this story. There's no turning back now! On top of that, I've been tweaking with the prequel to this story and changing it from fanfiction to my own story. Some of you have suggested considering publishing it, so… I'm seeing what I can do with it. (:**

* * *

_BPOV_

Today was the day of Edward's meeting with the college scout in Seattle. We woke up bright and early to make the nine o'clock interview. Seattle was three hours away, so we were up by four thirty to leave by five thirty (Edward wanted to get there early).

We still hadn't heard back from the university about my application. I had to keep reminding myself that it hadn't even been three weeks yet.

It was still dark when I got Aveline from her crib. She had just fallen asleep after a night of screaming, and I felt bad waking her up. She jolted awake and tried pushing me away with stiff arms. I changed her out of her pajamas and into warm clothes for the cold weather. She always looked so snug and cute in her winter wear. It was adorable.

I put the stroller and diaper bag into the car while Edward finished getting ready. He was putting together a small portfolio to show to the scout today, which wasn't required, but would make him look like an even better student.

As soon as I slammed the trunk shut, Edward walked out. He was wearing gray pants and a blue button up, long sleeved shirt both of which made him look tall, lanky, and skinny. His messy hair looked neater than usual and his pale skin matched the cold weather.

"Ready to go?"

"Um, yes." He said.

We took our seats in the car and headed off for Seattle in the early hours of the morning. I tried to get some sleep like I usually did on our road trips, but for some reason, I couldn't. I was staring out the window wide awake.

We reached the university in all due time. The parking lot was empty so he stopped the car right in front of the building and parked the car.

"Good luck." I said, leaning over to kiss him. "Knock them dead."

Edward grinned. "I'll do my best."

He kissed me again and got out of the car. Once he was inside of the building and completely out of sight, I unbuckled my seatbelt and crawled over to the driver's seat. I adjusted the mirrors and looked back at Aveline, who was sleeping softly in her car seat. I smiled before I pulled out of the roundabout parking lot.

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel as I drove.

I was excited to see Laura again. It had been ages since I had last seen her, and it felt even longer because the last time I tried to see her she was no where to be found. Today would be different. It would be just me, her, and the baby, and I really couldn't wait.

Driving around Seattle felt natural to me now. I was used to the bumper to bumper traffic, the crowd of people walking down the streets, and the loud city hum. I recognized the stores and even some of the streets now. It was like my home away from home.

I drove down the street, took the first left, then the third right, and we were there. But the moment I pulled into the parking lot outside the small brick building, I knew that something was wrong. I looked around and realized that the big sign that used to hang up high - the one that read _Laura's Childbirth & Maternity Classes _- was gone. Another sign took it's place. One for an insurance company with a big "grand opening" banner dancing across it.

I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt and, after getting Aveline out of the car and putting her in her stroller, walked towards the building. Even though I was pushing a stroller, I managed to pushed the heavy glass door open, and was shocked when I saw that the inside had been entirely renovated.

The front room looked like a boring lobby. There was a dull brown couch and fake plants on either side. A small coffee table was pushed towards the middle of the room with old tattered magazines thrown on it. Nobody sat in the seats. With the exception of the man behind the desk, there was no one was in the front room at all.

"Hello, ma'am." The man behind the desk said. He wore a navy blue jacket and had his dark brown hair slicked back. "What can I do for you today?"

"Um." I stammered. "I'm sorry. I think I have the wrong building."

"Oh." He frowned. Maybe he thought I was actually interested in their insurance company. It didn't seem like they got much business here. "Well, I'd still be happy to help."

I took in a deep breath. "Well, I was actually looking for Laura. She runs… er, ran, I guess, a maternity class. Her company was just here a week or so ago."

"This place just went on the market. We just snatched it up. Fantastic deal. There's plenty of space for offices, the lobby, desks… can't say that I know that much about the owner." He shrugged his bony shoulders. "Don't even think I met her."

"Wouldn't that information be on file?"

"Sorry. Those records are confidential."

Dammit. Of course they would be. I thanked the man for his time and walked out of the small office. I went back to the car, put Aveline in her car seat, and pulled out my phone. There was one person I knew who would help me with this. One person who wouldn't mind one bit.

* * *

"… so, you want me to go in there and ask about _life insurance_?"

Violet was standing in front of me with Seth in the baby carrier, and Aveline in the stroller. She looked tired, like she had just woken up from a nap; her dark hair was up in a ponytail, bangs in her face, and her skin was pale with big bags under her eyes. She looked like a young single mother of two, but it worked perfectly.

"That's the plan." I nodded. "You distract, I get info."

As they say, curiosity killed the cat, but I didn't care. It didn't seem like Laura to just up and leave like that. I knew that she wouldn't. Especially with that little warning. I felt obligated - or maybe I was just being nosey - to find out at least something about what had happened.

When I called Violet to ask her, she seemed more than willing to help. Truth be told, I think she was a little curious herself. And besides, who doesn't love a little mystery every once in a while?

"And when you go back into the office, text me, alright?"

"Alright, I've got it."

I stood behind the car and watched as Violet walked into the building. The windows were tinted so I couldn't see what was going on inside, but I didn't want to risk getting closer and being seen.

One year ago I wouldn't have even dreamed of doing something like this. I guess it just goes to prove that a lot can happen in twelve months.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket. I jumped and snatched it, almost dropping it but saving it with the tips of my fingertips. I checked the new message, which was the 'all clear' text from Violet, and hurried towards the building.

The room was completely empty.

A rush of adrenaline hit me and I was afraid to move. I didn't want to get caught. I didn't want to get in trouble. I contemplated turning back and forgetting the whole thing, but came to the realization that that wouldn't be fair to Violet. I had dragged her out here and she was in that back room talking about insurance to a random guy all for me. I really had no other choice here.

I slid over the countertop and landed on my feet. I moved quickly, wanting to get in and out as soon as humanly possible. I tried yanking open the file cabinet but I was locked.

"Key, key, key… I need the key!" I whispered to myself.

My hands fumbled with papers on the desk, which I flipped through as I saw them, but none of them had anything to do with Laura. I dumped out the pencil cup and saw a silver, shiny key fall onto the white desktop. I grabbed it, shoved it into the key hole, and pulled the drawer out.

I didn't know how the hell there could be so many papers for a business that had just opened. Or why. I highly doubt that they have an insane flow of people coming in here everyday.

Clients… taxes… bills… employees… records! I pulled out the file folder and flung it on the desk, then started looking through each thin piece of paper. Most of it had to do with the condition of the building now - things like inspections, health rating, and so on.

The very last page was titled 'Previous Information' and that was exactly what I was looking for. I slid it out of the folder and read the page from top to bottom.

_As of September 1, 2012, Laura Thompson sold full ownership to Dwayne Gibson for twenty thousand. The building was left in acceptable conditions, fully succeeding the health inspection… contact with the previous owner was limited. No current contact information on file._

No known contact information. What the hell?

_Real estate agent Renee Dwyer assisted the selling and buying of the building. Dwayne Gibson's new company was opened to the public on September 13, 2011. Any further information will need to be handled previous owner._

I dropped the paper. I fell slowly to the ground. My heart pounded in my tightening chest, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I stared wide eyed in front of me, not able to move, completely paralyzed with fear.

This couldn't be happening.

I heard footsteps in the hallway next to me and I fell down to the floor. The door pushed open and out walked Violet and the same insurance guy from earlier. I kept down behind the desk, praying top god that he wouldn't see me.

"… well, you have the information packet right there and the number if you're interested in anything." He said to Violet, who was pushing Aveline in the stroller and had her own baby in baby carrier still.

I crawled on the floor and reached for the file. Silently, I put the paper back into the folder and, since the filing cabinet was already open, put it back in place. The door leaving the office was just feet away from me. I crawled over and lifted my head up to make sure that nobody was looking.

Violet met my glance and gave me a 'I'll distract look'.

"Could you please help me with this door?" Violet asked. "I have the stroller."

"Of course!"

While he wasn't looking, I pushed the door open and ran to the back door. I pushed it open and ran outside, pushing my legs as fast as they would take me. I didn't know how Edward did this every day. Even now, bumped up on adrenaline and fear, my legs burned. I still ran. I ran all the way around the building and to the car where Violet was standing.

The moment I reached her, I bent down, trying to catch my breath.

"What did you find?" She asked anxiously.

Once I could breath again, I looked at her. "Oh, nothing." I lied. I felt terrible about lying to Violet. She was so sweet and incredibly nice to me. But there are some things better left unsaid. "She really just left."

She frowned. "That really sucks."

"I know."

"Oh well." She scratched her nose. "Did you want to go out for lunch or something? There's this really great place that just opened down the street. I love it."

"I'd really love to, but Edward's meeting should be done anytime now." I explained. My heart was still pounding. I could feel it in my ears now. "Maybe next weekend we could work something out."

"Sounds great." Violet smiled. "See you soon, Bella."

I waited until she was in her own car and driving out of the parking lot before I got in my own. I strapped Aveline in her car seat, kissed her on the forehead, and jumped into the driver's seat. I had to get to Edward fast. And we had to leave now.

The seconds felt like hours. Every moment spent in the car felt like a life time.

By the time we finally got back to the school, Edward wasn't even done yet. I ran my hands impatiently through my hair and tapped my foot against the floor. Aveline started fidgeting in the back, which meant that another tantrum was coming.

Not now, not now, _please_ not now.

She let out a small, whiney cry. I reached my hand to the back seat and felt the side of her face. I rubbed her cheek softly with my thumb in hopes to calm her down.

There was a loud knock on the window. I bit down on my lip to stop myself from screaming. Edward was standing outside of the passenger side smiling. I unlocked the door and he climbed in.

"Hey." He said. "The interview was great. He liked me. I was thinking we could talk about it over lunch. The guy said that there was this new place that just opened down the street."

I didn't answer. I put my foot down on the accelerator and drove as fast as I could without breaking the speed limit.

"Bella?"

"Edward, we have to go. We have to leave right now." I panicked. "We can't stay here, I have to - you - we have to - I- "

"Bella! Calm down. Take a deep breath."

I shook my head. Without even realizing it, I was crying. There were hot, steamy tears streaming down my face, and I still felt like I couldn't breath properly. I couldn't focus on what was happening or even what I was doing. My mind was going crazy right now. I felt like I was in shock.

Edward leaned over and put a hand on the steering wheel.

"Why don't you pull over? I'll drive."

"No! We have to leave now… we have to go…"

"Bella." He said calmly. "Please pull over, love."

It took me a minute. I stared ahead at the road trying to pull myself together before I gave up and pulled over to the side of the empty interstate. Edward jumped out of the passenger side and ran over to me. He opened the door and helped me up from my seat. I got into the passenger side, and he buckled himself in the driver's seat.

He started driving then looked over at me. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Not now. We need to go… we need to…"

Edward leaned over and put his hand on my thigh. He looked at me with worried eyes, but hid it behind a small smile. "Where are we going?"

"My dad's house." I said after a moment.

That's exactly where he took us. He drove smoothly down the freeway, just inching past the speed limit. There were no cars for miles and I was grateful for that. I needed to get to my dad as soon as I could. It was completely silent except Aveline, who was crying now. I think that my meltdown had set her off.

I leaned my head against the seat and closed my eyes.

The three hour car ride back to Forks took ages. I didn't know how to distract myself from the thoughts bouncing through my head. They gave me ridiculous ideas and scared me even more than I already was. But we did get back home. Edward drove straight to my dad's house, and as soon as we were parked in the driveway, I jumped out of the car and ran inside.

My dad was sitting in the kitchen reading a newspaper. There was a cup of coffee by his side and his feet were up on the table. "Bella wha - "

"Dad." I said. "She's back."

He raised one of his thick eyebrows. "Who's back? I don't know what you're talking about."

"To hell with that! You know exactly what I'm talking about!" I nearly screamed at him. The two of us stared at each other intensely for a moment. His eyes eventually softened and he looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"Yes, I do know what you're talking about." He said in a quiet voice. "But are you _positive_?"

I explained what had happened in Seattle today. As I talked, I watched my father's face fall from understanding to what looked to be horrified. He bit his lip and looked away, his body language speaking for him: yes, he was scared.

Edward, who was standing behind me, spoke up. I hadn't even noticed he was in the room until right now. "What's going on?"

I looked at my dad. He nodded at me and I slowly turned to Edward.

"Edward, why don't you sit down? There's something I have to tell you."

* * *

_Charlie's Point of View_

_December 20, 1987_

_Dusk was just beginning to roll into the nighttime sky as I pulled into the driveway after another long day at work. I had spent the entire day driving around in my police cruiser and looking for people speeding. There was no one. The streets were just as dead as the town. What did they expect? This was Forks. Nothing ever happened in Forks._

_My tires rolled up on the driveway and the headlights flashed shined on the white garage door. The lights were on downstairs and I knew that Renee was downstairs with Bella._

_Renee is my wife. We married very young. She was nineteen and I was twenty one when I first met her two years ago. She was standing in one of the few stores Forks had to offer looking lost. I, being a brand new officer, was eager to help. _

_She was a city girl. I was a small town boy. She was an artist and did things her own way. I was in law enforcement and liked having rules. She was a dreamer, I was a realist. She had spunk, I was boring. We were so different, and yet so alike. My feelings for her were like nothing I had ever felt before. Even from the first word, I knew I had to make her mine._

_One thing led to another, and soon enough we were married with a baby on the way._

_Which leads me to Bella - my beautiful, newborn daughter. I would love to say that she looks like just her mother, but she has some of me in her too. Her eyes are huge and an unmistakable chocolate brown. Her skin is pale and her hair is dark. She's a very quiet baby and hardly ever cries. A lot of the times, she sits there, not touching her toys, not making any sound. She keeps to herself._

_I pulled my keys out of the car and walked into the house. _

"_I'm home!" I called._

_Renee was walking into the kitchen holding a plate of food. She smiled at me and set the plate on the table. I went over to her and kissed her on the lips, which only made her smile even more. _

"_How was your day?" She asked._

"_It was alright. Kind of boring." I admitted._

_She frowned. "I'm sorry."_

_I shrugged. "What's for dinner?"_

"_I tried a new recipe today. It's steak in a special marinate I made myself. And some vegetables on the side."_

_Renee liked to think that she was a good cook even though she knew she wasn't. Everyone knows that she wasn't a very good chef. Most of the time we end up ordering pizza because she hardly knows how to use the oven, which is fine by me. Food is food._

_I took a seat and she handed me a fork and a knife. I cut into the meat and took a bite. It tasted kind of dry and the flavor had a tangy taste to it. _

"_Do you like it?"_

"_Yes." I lied._

_She took a seat, seeming excited that I was enjoying her new creation. I know that lying isn't good but I just don't have it in me to break her heart. She's too sweet for something like that. _

_We ate quietly, the sound of our forks clinging against the glass plates the only sound in the entire house. Bella was upstairs asleep, the television was off, and Renee and I clearly had nothing to talk about._

"_I think I'm going fishing with Billy this weekend." I said, breaking the silence._

_She put her silverware down. "Really?"_

"_Yes. I haven't seen Billy in a really long time."_

_Billy was my best friend. He lives down at the Native American reservation just twenty minutes away from Forks - La Push. We met at a party when we were fifteen and ever since then, we've been friends. It's funny because now we both have our first kid (my daughter, Bella, and his son, Jacob), and things are so different from the way they used to be. No more adventures for us. We've settled for a weekend of boring fishing._

"_But it's almost Christmas. I need help wrapping presents for Bella."_

"_Renee. She's three months old. She's not going to be able to open a present." I sighed. "And I'll be back before Christmas Eve. I'll be home on the twenty third."_

"_Fine. I'll do it all by myself. Like always."_

"_That's not true! I help you all the time."_

"_Okay Charlie. You keep thinking that. Keep thinking that taking care of a baby all day by myself without you isn't difficult. And making sure that dinner is ready when you get home. And getting up with her in the middle of the night."_

_I glared at her. _

_I tried my best to help Renee. I really did. It was hard being the only one working in the family, having to work overtime, then come back home and try and help around the house. It hurts when she says things like that because I do try to help her._

_There was a small cry from upstairs and I knew in that instant it was Bella._

"_I'll get her." I said to Renee._

"_Don't even bother." _

_She stood up and stomped up the stairs leaving me alone with dry, sour stake and my own thoughts._

* * *

_February 9, 1989  
_

_It was a Wednesday night and I had just gotten home from work. _

_Bella was sitting on the kitchen floor with a coloring book in front of her. She was holding a green crayon and color in the lines. When she saw me she put a finger to her lips. "Shh. I draw."_

_It was hard to believe that she was almost two now. Her hair was long and curly, and her big brown eyes were still every bit as beautiful as they were when she was a baby. She was pale, or paler than most children her age, probably because she didn't like to go outside. She even refused to play at recess at school. She sat inside by herself instead and pretended to read books or draw._

"_What did you draw?" I asked._

"_Daddy I draw a kitty." She said, holding up the coloring book lopsided. There were green and blue scribbles all over the page. _

"_Why don't you give her a pink nose?"_

"_Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink…" She whispered to herself. _

_I hung up my jacket from work and walked into the living room. Renee was sitting on the couch staring at a black television screen. Her hands were folded into her lap and her eyes were closed._

"_Renee?" I said to get her attention. "Baby, what's wrong?"_

_She sat up sharply in her chair, flinging her head up, and slapping her hands down on her thighs. I took a step back and raised one eyebrow._

"_Um." _

"_You're back. I thought you were hanging out with the guys tonight."_

"_I was going to hang out with Billy, but he never answered his phone. Wasn't at home either. I went over and knocked on the door and no one answered." I shrugged. "I'll try another day."_

_She was silent. I knew that something was wrong. Even after a long day, she always showed at least a little bit of emotion. Today she was lifeless and dead. I took a seat next to her and reached for her head._

"_You seem upset."_

"_I'm not." She snapped._

_I sighed heavily and stood up. She obviously wasn't in the mood to talk. I'll just leave her alone until she decides that she wants to socialize with the rest of the world._

"_Charlie, wait." She said just as I was about to leave._

_I turned. "Yeah?"_

_She looked down at her hands and spoke in a very soft voice. "I did something horrible."_

_Renee had been stressed lately. Almost everyday she cries about how she's doing everything wrong and how terrible of a person she is. I really don't know what to say to it. I've never been very good at expressing sympathy or much emotion but I try my best to make her feel better. Always. Even if it means sitting there for hours and letting her cry, or staying up with Bella when she has a nightmare, or even taking off work to help her out._

_Sometimes she gets mad at me when I didn't help her. There would be an occasional weekend when I would go fishing with Billy. When I came back, she would be completely distraught and I didn't know why. Bella wasn't hard to take care of. I never left the house a mess. But when I came back, she would be crying. She didn't eat. She didn't do any of the errands she planned. Sometimes Bella would be locked in her room - which I later found out - for hours. It was like she completely quit functioning. _

"_Renee, it doesn't make you a bad person because you forgot to do something." I reassured her. "Do you want to talk about it?" I tried putting my hand on her should but she shrugged it off._

"_I didn't mean to do it." She whispered. There was a new tone to her voice. One I didn't recognize. "But I did." She turned to face me. "Oh, Charlie…"_

"_Renee…" I dragged out her name. "What did you do?"_

_She looked at me with narrowed eyes and leaned her head back, a twisted smile turning on her face. She breathed heavily, an airy laugh escaping from her pale, dry lips. Her chest expanded deeply with each inhale and fell back with every exhale. She clutched her hands into fists, the bones cracking in her fingers. _

_I looked down at her hand and gasped when I saw a bloody knife by her side._

"_What the hell?!"_

"_I'm sorry! What the hell was I supposed to do?!" She screamed, jumping up from her chair. I took a step back, my foot creaking on the old hardwood flooring. "I had to do it, Charlie! I had to! There was no other choice!"_

"_What the hell did you do?!"_

"_I had to get him out of the way. He was pulling you away from me. I was losing you. I can't be on my own. I had to get rid of him!" She screamed. _

"_Who did you - "_

"_Billy." She said. "I.. I… I killed him. That's why you couldn't find him. He's in the backyard."_

_I stared at her. I didn't know what to do. My wife had just confessed to committing the murder of my best friend like it was no problem. She buried the body in the backyard. _

_Bella walked into the room and stood in the doorway. She was wearing her pajamas and held her coloring book. She looked at Renee, squealed, and ran over to her. Renee leaned down and picker her up._

"_Mommy I drew pictures." _

"_Let mommy see." Renee said, looking through the book with Bella._

_I ran outside and to the backyard. It was almost dark outside, but I could make out the shovel leaning against the side of the house, and the big pile of dirt in the middle of the yard. I ran over and fell to my knees. The hole wasn't filled yet, so I stared down into it._

_I had never seen a dead body before and now I know why. My best friend was laying in the dirt. There was blood caked on his forehead, and his tan skin looked dead and pale. His eyes were wide open, like he was begging for me to help him. I wanted to help him. I wanted to get him out of there and bring him back._

_But he was gone. And my wife had killed him._

_I got up and ran back inside. I headed straight for the phone. I had to call the police. _

"_Don't even think about it, Charlie." _

"_Think about what?" _

"_Turning me in." She said. "You might be able to call the police on me, but all the evidence leads back to you. You were the one who was gone with him this weekend. It'll be your fingerprints on that shovel outside. On his body. On the weapon." She smiled. "Gloves really do come in handy."_

"_You mental bitch."_

_Bella ran in through the kitchen probably headed for her room. Renee grabbed her by the hand and yanked her hand. She fell backwards, slamming her head against the hardwood floor. She started crying. Renee picked her up and held her in her lap, the knife still in her hands._

"_Renee. Leave her alone."_

"_What'll it be, Charlie?" She held the knife up in the air and glanced at Bella. "Turn me in and ruin us all, or stay quiet and let me cover for you?"_

"_You are sick." I whispered._

"_What'll it be?" She said between her clenched teeth. _

"_Stay quiet." I mumbled._

"_Good boy." Renee smiled. "Now take Bella. Her head is bleeding. I think she may have cracked it open. I'll take care of this mess." She kissed my cheek. Her lips against my skin felt like poison. _

_Bella wobbled over to me, her hand against her head. There were tears in her big brown eyes. I held her close to my chest and let her cry. She wrapped her little arms around my neck and I picked her up, bouncing her up and down. _

_I looked at the back of her head and saw the blood. _

_I made sure that Renee was outside before I ran up the stairs. I grabbed the first bag that I could see and started throwing clothes into it. I packed most of my stuff, and threw Bella's stuff into the same bag._

_We were getting out of here tonight._

_I held onto Bella and bounded out the door. I got into my police cruiser and zoomed down the dark streets. Bella was crying in the backseat and there was nothing I could do about it._

_When got to the hospital, the emergency room, I ran in with Bella. The woman standing behind the desk called for the doctor to come immediately - Doctor Cullen. He had been on and off for the past year or so because of his son, Edward, who was the same age as Bella._

"_What seems to be the problem?"_

"_She cracked her head open."_

"_How did that happen?" Dr. Cullen asked._

"_She fell." I said quietly. _

_Dr. Cullen nodded and wrote on his clipboard. He said that they would see Bella right now. I held her in my arms and walked her into the examination room. The doctor looked at her head, pushed her hair out of the way, and cleaned the wound with an alcohol wipe._

"_We're going to have to staple it shut." He said. "Can you hold her down?"_

_I nodded._

_I stood in front of her and put my hands onto either side of her arms. She sniffled and looked at me with an expression that begged me to make them stop. I kissed her cheek and held her as close as I could without getting in the way of the doctor._

"_One… two… three…"_

_Bella screamed and lurched forward, reaching for me. I held her back into her seat. There were still three more staples to go. It happened quickly, but she screamed louder and louder each time. When it was done, I scooped her into my arms again and rocked her back and forth._

_She cried into my chest, tears staining my shirt._

"_Daddy…" she wailed._

_I kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to make things right. I promise."_

_As we were leaving the hospital and signing paperwork to discharge Bella, a man in a police uniform came over to me. His badge said that he was from Forks but I didn't recognize him. _

"_Charlie Swan?"_

"_That's me." I said nervously._

"_I just have a few questions to ask you." He looked over at Bella who was sitting in the waiting room with a book in her hands. It was funny because she couldn't even read yet._

"_Sure."_

_We took a seat on the opposite side of the waiting room from Bella and stared talking. He asked me about my family, my job, Bella. It was hard for me to not say what happened. It was brining on my lips. I wanted to get it out. _

"_You're saying that she fell all by herself and cracked her head open?"_

"_No." I couldn't hold it for any longer. "It was my wife."_

_The truth came out. I found myself rambling everything that had happened in the past two hours to the police officer in front of me. He went from calm to frantic in a matter of seconds. By the time I was done, he was already radioing other officers on his walkie talkie. _

_They were going to my house to arrest my wife._

_The man got up and started for the door. "Sir, we're going to take care of everything."_

"_I hope so." I whispered._

_And our lives were changed for forever._

* * *

Edward stared at me.

"But you said that you're mom - "

"I lied."

I wanted to cry. That was a story that I had never discussed in my entire life - not even with my dad. I remembered everything that had happened. That day was crystal clear to me. Not many people know because we managed to keep in on the down low. After all, this was a small town, and every small town has their dirty secrets.

"Edward, I'm sorry." I cried. "It's not something that I like talking about."

"I understand that, I just… I feel like you would have told me sooner."

"I'm sorry."

He looked at me with pained eyes. I couldn't tell if he was hurt by the story or hurt that I hadn't him something so personal. I get that he's upset with me. I'd be a little upset if he was keeping something like that from me.

"Bella, I'll call you." My dad said, who was holding Aveline now. "We'll think this through. I'll try and find out what's going on. You go home and get some rest."

I took Aveline from him and he gave me an awkward one armed hug. Edward waved goodbye and we walked outside and back to the car. He took the baby from me and put her in the back. I sat in the passenger seat.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked in a whisper when he got into the driver's seat.

"Bella, no, I'm not mad at you."

"You're not?"

"No." He grabbed my hand and kissed it, then gave it a gentle squeeze. "I just can't believe that something like that happened to you."

I looked away from him. I didn't want him to see me cry.

Edward slid his hand behind my waist and turned me around. He brushed my hair out of my face and caressed my cheek with his warm hands. I closed my eyes and leaned into him, letting him hold me, letting him kiss me, and letting him love me.

* * *

**Long chapter and a physco mom! It's quiet the twist to the story, I know. I came up with it recently and I know that there are some references to Renee in People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine… so I'm asking you to disregarded those. I'll probably go through and take them out. OH, and on a side not - almost one hundred reviews by five chapters! You guys are amazing. Thank you for reading and don't forget to review!**

**** To the reviewer LC… I can't message you back because you review on anonymous! Would you be able to log in or make an account so I can answer your questions? Thanks! (:**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley**


	7. Stalled

**Hello! How have you guys been lately? I've been pretty great. No, fantastic. This weekend has just been absolutely flawless! I got a new phone and I'm now addicted to instragram. I also went on a ghost tour, party on Friday night, new Taylor Swift album in less than a month… ;)**

**I was pretty excited to right this chapter. I want to give a shout out to ShellyBelles24 for her constructive criticism. It really opened me up the story and characters… so, this ones for you! **

* * *

_BPOV_

"Bella, you don't even know anything yet." Edward said. "There could be another woman in the world named Renee Dwyer."

It was a Wednesday night and the three of us were in Edward's room. Aveline was asleep in her bed, and the two of us were on his bed. He was sitting up and reading a book for school while I was sprawled out across the bed with my head buried into a pillow.

I was stressing out about everything that had happened with… _her_.

I had never told anyone that story before. It was weird with someone more than my dad and myself knowing what had went down on that February night. But that wasn't what was stressing me out. I was freaked that there was evidence she was close to Forks again - whether it be her or not, the possibility that it could be her scared me.

"Edward." I sighed.

"You need to calm down. Take a deep breath."

"Edward." I said again, sighing heavy. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling another headache come over me. I needed time to think and Edward standing here ranting on wasn't helping that. "Can I please just have a minute?"

"Oh. Sure."

He turned his body away from me and put his hand on his knees. I dropped my pencil onto my notebook and let out a deep breath. I looked over at him.

"A minute alone?"

I could see the emotion in his green eyes when he realized that I wanted to be alone. He simply nodded, and appeared to be understanding on the outside, but I knew that inside he was disappointed.

Then again - when was the last time I had asked to be away from Edward? Never (or not that I can remember, at least).

I loved being around him. I loved his laugh, and how he always made me smile. How he always knows how to make me feel better, how adorable he is when he sleeps… he's my other half. Without him, I don't exist.

There are some moments when I feel like I need to be by myself . Days like today. Days that I spend lost in my own thoughts and doing my own thing. Maybe drinking tea on an early winter morning or spending the day curled up with a book. My favorite kinds of things.

It doesn't mean that I love him any less, because I love him more than life itself. Loving someone isn't just about wanting to spend every living moment with them. It's about loving each other despite the odds; staying each other through the fights and the challenges of life.

Edward smiled at me and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him quietly. When he was gone, I closed my notebook and rolled over onto my bed, putting my hands over my eyes.

My head was throbbing. I reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the bottle of Asprin. I plopped two into my mouth and swallowed it dry. Maybe once my head was feeling better, I would too.

I pulled myself out of bed and walked over to Aveline's crib. She was laying nicely and staring up at the pink and black mobile that hung above her. Her little arms were out wide as she reached for the bells and the fluffy, pink, balls.

"Hi, baby." I whispered.

She looked at me with her big, irresistible green eyes. Aveline kicked her legs and arms quickly now, and cooed, looking very excited to see me.

I picked her up in my arms and bounced her up and down, then kissed her on the nose. She made a quiet humming sound and I put her down on the bed and lay down next to her.

It was hard to believe that she was a month old now.

I feel like it should be longer. I feel like we've had her for forever now. But it's only been a month. Most mom's would feel different; I've heard so many mother's talk about how quickly the first month went by for them, more than once actually.

I rubbed the top of Aveline's head and watched as she kicked her legs. I had a strange feeling that she was going to have a head start on the whole crawling thing. She's always trying to move.

The doctor said that we should start seeing progress in her within the next few weeks. She should start trying to hold her head up, smile, and, with the help of her colic and acid reflux medicine, sleep a little longer!

I lifted up her shirt and lightly tickled her belly. She laughed a little bit and even let out a little shriek, which is something else the doctor said she should start doing soon - expressing emotions. I stopped and let her catch her breath for a quick moment before I started blowing raspberries onto her soft stomach.

"Okay, baby." I crawled off of the bed and grabbed some of her clothes from the dresser. "Let's get you out of those clothes."

I fed her quickly before I changed her into clean clothes. After burping her, I took off her cute outfit (pink pants, a long sleeved white shirt, and a cute pink head wrap around her head), and into a pair of pink pajamas. I really don't know why we dress her in so much pink, but we do. It looks cute on her.

"Want to do some homework with mommy?" I asked her even though she couldn't answer. "Yeah, let's get that stupid sixteen page history paper started!"

I rested her up on a pillow next to me and grabbed my laptop from the floor. This paper wasn't due until after winter break, but I felt obligated to start it now. It was over the Salem Witch Trails, which was something that had always confused me. Maybe that's what led to my fascination for it - the confusion of it all.

Half an hour into writing the paper, I heard the soft rumbling of the garage door opening downstairs. I took that as my excuse to take a break. I closed my laptop and stretched my arms out wide. Aveline jumped awake by my side.

"I'm sorry, baby." I apologized.

I've noticed that I have a habit of talking to Aveline. And when I speak to her, I talk in a very gushy, high pitched voice. I don't know why I do it; it's just something that I do. I know that she's not going to answer me, but I do it anyway. Maybe to connect with her, or maybe to try and be a better mom (or just as an excuse to talk to myself without sounding crazy).

Aveline yawned and I couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked.

"Why don't we put you down for a nap?" I said, only to prove my point that I do talk to my one month old. I scooped her into my arms and while I was walking her to her crib, I heard her squeal.

"Well hey to you to." Edward said, chuckling.

I turned around and Edward was standing in the doorway two cups from Starbucks in his hands. He smiled and walked over to me, planting a kiss on both my and Aveline's cheek. I put her in her bed and fell onto the bed.

"I brought you Starbucks." He smiled.

"I can see that." He handed me the drink and I took it appreciatively . "But did you really drive all the way down to Port Angeles just to get me Starbucks?"

"I was actually going to stop by Emmett's, but they weren't home, so I just stopped by Starbucks since it was close by." Edward shrugged his shoulders. "But if you really wanted Starbucks I would have driven out there."

"You didn't have to do that."

I get mad at him when he does this stuff to me. Edward honestly spoils me way to much and I feel like I don't deserve it. He does so much more than I do in life. He works, he runs, he goes to school, helps me with Aveline… while I go to school and take care of the baby. Something doesn't add up there.

"But I did."

"But you didn't have to." I kissed him. "Thank you anyway."

I took a sip from the cup, which felt warm, but after sitting in a car for twenty minutes, didn't taste warm. But still, the sweet taste of vanilla and white chocolate lifted my mood. I could never get over the taste of a White Mocha.

"How was Aveline today?"

I smiled. "Good. She's so cute."

"And getting so big." Edward said. He was quiet for a moment. "I feel like we have no pictures of her."

My eyes instantly flickered to the photographs we had hanging on the wall - the ones that Edward's parents had been nice enough to give us for the baby shower. They were taken when I was still pregnant and my stomach was like a balloon.

I had been wanting to get professional ones done with Aveline, but they were very expensive. It made me sad that we might not get family pictures taken together with Aveline as a baby.

"Oh!" I said and I jumped off of the bed and ran out of the room. When I came back, I was holding a camera in my hands. Edward looked at me and raised one eyebrow. I put the camera to my face and snapped a picture of him.

"You said we didn't have any pictures of her." I reminded him. "So we can just take them ourselves."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. Like this." I took another picture.

Edward grinned and took the camera from me. He messed with a few buttons on the top and went to snap a picture of me. I covered my face with my elbow and dove onto the bed, hiding underneath a pillow.

He lied down right next to me, so close that I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin. "Come on, Bella. Please?"

"Do I have to?"

"It was _your_ idea."

I sighed and Edward took the pillow away from my head. I turned over on my side so that I was facing him, and he took a picture of me. I frowned, mostly because I wasn't ready, then took the camera from him and took a picture of the both of us laying on the bed together.

Somehow taking pictures of just Aveline turned to taking pictures of all of us.

We took pictures of us laughing, kissing, and even holding hands. It was really fun, and we weren't worried about retaking the pictures because it was an old camera that you had to go to the store to get developed.

As camera shy as I am, it was actually really fun. And it felt really natural. I felt like we were being ourselves, not what someone else was telling us to do in each picture.

When Aveline woke up, I picked her up from her crib and brought her over to the bed to take some pictures with her as well. Edward held the camera and took pictures of the two of us, mommy and baby.

"You have to get in the picture too." I told him. "Family picture."

Edward smiled and scooted over next to us. He held his arm out wide so he could hold the camera in front of the three of us, while his free arm was wrapped tightly around my waist. Aveline was sitting on my lap, with her head leaned back like she was looking up at the ceiling.

"Look at the camera, Aveline!"

"Ready… one… two… three…"

He pressed down on the button and flashed the picture.

* * *

Flash forward to one week and I'm standing in Walgreens with a stroller and a disposable camera. I had been meaning to drop by sometime during the school week, but I'd been so busy studying for my midterms that driving thirty minutes out just to get some pictures was next to impossible.

But of course, the one day I choose to go happens to be the busiest day in the history of Walgreens.

I'd been standing in line for about twenty minutes now and Aveline was starting to get restless. She was crying in the stroller and people were starting to look at me. And as if things could get any more hectic, I had to pick Edward up from cross country practice because he texted me saying that his ride home didn't show up today.

I tapped my foot impatiently and silently begged for the old man in front of me to get done with whatever is was he was doing - printing out what seemed like three hundred pictures and photocopying every single one of them.

I looked down at my phone and checked the time - we had half an hour until we had to leave to go and get Edward. Judging by how slowly this line was moving, I highly doubted that we were going to make it. I texted him and said I'd be a bit behind schedule, then slid my phone back into my pocket.

Now Aveline was kicking and starting a small tantrum in the stroller. I picked her up before she started screaming too loudly and held her close to my chest. I whispered in her ear and swayed back and forth, but she continued to cry into my shirt.

People were staring. I could feel their eyes burning into my back. They had no reason not to stare. They are human after all, and human are curious. They're want to know about the eighteen year old girl with a newborn baby in her arms.

The old man in front of me finally finished, and I rushed to the counter, holding Aveline in one arm, dragging the stroller behind me with the other, and with the disposable camera tucked into a pocket on the stroller. I snatched it up and handed it to the man behind the counter.

"Hi, I need to develop these photos, please." I called out over Aveline's screaming.

"What?"

I tried again, louder this time. "I need to develop these pictures."

"Oh! Okay." He halfway yelled. "Can I see the camera please?"

"What?"

"The camera." The man called and pointed to the cheap disposable camera in my hands. "Can I see it?"

I handed him the camera and he got to work on developing the pictures. I prayed that he was working fast. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Aveline's screaming was only getting louder and louder, and the rest of the story was only getting even more irritated.

It took much less time to have my pictures developed than the person before me. Within five minutes, all thirty of our pictures were developed and ready to go. I handed two twenties over to the man and told him to keep the change.

I pulled the stroller out of the way and put Aveline back in. She screamed even louder. My throat tightened up and my chest felt heavy. I really just felt like crying in the middle of the store. I was so frustrated with everything going on right now. This was just about my breaking point.

Just then a woman, who looked to be a good five to ten years older than me, stopped, looked me in the eye and said, "you should _really_ learn how to control your baby."

"Excuse me?" I said, my voice cracking.

The woman didn't answer. She shrugged her bony shoulders and walked away, leaving me in complete shock. I stared down at the tile floor for a moment before I stood up straight, blinked through the burning tears in my eyes and walked out of the store.

'Does your baby have colic?' I wanted to say to her. 'Do you have to go to school and worry about your baby while you're gone all day? Do you have to apply to colleges? Or worry about your psychotic mother? No, no you don't. You don't know anything about me or my life. You have no idea how hard it is'.

I was in the car now and I was also crying. I wiped my eyes with my fingers and took a deep breath.

Aveline was still crying and Edward texted me back telling me to hurry because it was cold. All I wanted to do was sit here and cry, but I couldn't even do that. I just felt so stressed.

As if I thought things couldn't get any worse, when I put the keys in the car and turned them, nothing happened. The engine didn't purr to life like it always did. The radio didn't turn on. The heat didn't turn on.

I tried it again, and still, nothing.

"No, no, please, please… not today…"

I covered my face with my hands and just started crying. I didn't know what to do. I was twenty minutes away from home with a screaming baby in the backseat of my car which wouldn't start, and I was supposed to pick up my boyfriend right now.

I sniffled and wiped my eyes again.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts with teary eyes and called the first person I could think so come and help me.

The phone rang until about the fifth ring. There was a fuzzy clicking sound from the other end followed by a, "Bella?".

"Daddy." I said and started sobbing. "I need you… to… come… and… get me."

"Bella, what's wrong?!"

"The car won't start." I cried.

He tried walking me through the steps of fixing the car, but nothing worked. It just sat there doing absolutely nothing.

"I'll be there soon." My dad said. "Just stay in the car. Give me fifteen minutes."

We hung up and I texted Edward about his car, which he wasn't too happy about. He loves his car it's his child, so you can only see how that went. He blamed _me_ for the engine completely freezing up and said that _I _should have been careful.

I turned my phone off and threw it in the backseat of the car. I was in no mood to be blamed for something that wasn't even my fault.

When my dad finally pulled into the small Walgreens parking lot, I jumped out of the car to meet him. He saw that I was crying and he pulled me into his arms and hugged me. My dad wasn't really one to show much emotion, so the hug meant a lot.

"Come on, get in the car. I'll take you home."

I nodded my head and crawled into the front seat of the police cruiser. My dad got Aveline from the back and set up her car seat in the back of the car. Once we were all settled in, he called a car company to come and pick up the Volvo.

"Where's Edward?" He asked while we waited.

"Ugh, I was supposed to pick him up from practice." I said with a stuffy nose. "Since the car is broken I can't and now he's mad at me for messing it up."

"First off, it's not broken. The engine is just messing up." My dad clarified. "And second, you did not mess up the car. It's not your fault."

"Try telling him that." I mumbled beneath my breath.

"You know how boys are with their cars." He said and smiled.

I smiled back, but not in a way that made me feel any better.

Aveline cries were getting softer and softer. She went from screaming to soft whimpering, and I knew that she had cried herself to sleep, like she does a lot. I reached my arm into the backseat of the car and let her hold onto my finger as if it were my hand.

I waited until her breathing was deep and the whimpering was completely gone before I turned to my dad.

"Did you find anything about…" My voice trailed off.

"Oh. Yeah." He said. "I was going to tell you earlier, but - "

"What did you find out?"

My dad closed his eyes. "She was released from prison in February of this year. I couldn't find out why they released her, and I can't figure that out myself either - she wasn't supposed to leave.

"She apparently got a degree while she was in prison as a real estate agent. Now she apparently works all over the country helping companies sell their buildings to other aspiring businesses."

"So… the place in Seattle… that was her?"

He nodded slowly. "More than likely."

Two questions shot through my mind.

What was my mom doing in Seattle? Besides my dad and I living three hours away, she has no family up here and after years of not talking to her friends, I doubt she has any of those up there either.

And what had happened with Laura? She had just up and left everything she had built up. She hadn't called anyone, left a note, or any kind of sign as to why she was leaving. Something about that left a not-so-sure feeling in my stomach; the kind of feeling when you know that something's gone terribly wrong.

My mom selling Laura's building could have been a scary coincidence. Or it could have been something scary of another sort. I didn't want to think about it. Knowing what my mom was capable of was beginning to scare me.

"Well… now what?"

He shrugged. "Is there anything we can do? She hasn't done anything. And until, or if, she does, we just sit here."

"Just sit here? We can't do that! She murdered your best friend and now two people in my life go missing since February!" I thought about Lauren. "Dad. Something is seriously not right."

The truck from the car company pulled into the parking lot. I stared at my dad with wide brown eyes, and for a moment, I felt like I was staring at myself in the mirror. His expression matched mine exactly.

There was a small knock, and a man with short brown hair in a big blue parka was standing outside the window. I rolled it down and he leaned forward to talk to us.

"Are you the ones with the Volvo?"

"Yes, that's me."

I signed a few things of paperwork, told them what the problem was, and they told me that I could come and get the car on Sunday. Which meant that for the next three days, we'd be stuck with my truck. I didn't mind using my truck, but Edward did. He liked driving fast, and my truck was not built for speed. It was slow and old but I loved it to death. It'd been ages since I had last driven it.

My dad drove me back home. When we pulled into the Cullen's driveway, I leaned over and gave him a big hug.

"Thanks for picking me up."

"Anytime Bella." He patted me on the back.

"If you find out anything about… her…" I didn't want to say mom. I'd only known her as a baby. And after what she did, I didn't want to call her my mother. "Please, tell me."

"I know. But until then, I want you to try and forget. Let me handle everything. You'll be the first to know." He gave me a fatherly kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, Bella. Bring Edward next time you come. Haven't seen him in a while."

"Okay dad." I smiled and opened the car door. "See ya."

I stepped out into the chilly December air and after getting Aveline out of the backseat, went into the house. She was sound asleep in her car seat, and I was thankful for that. The poor thing had cried all last night _and_ today.

Esme was making dinner when I walked in. I could the banging of pots and pans and smell the garlic wafting through the house. As if on cue, my stomach growled.

I walked upstairs and when I went by the bathroom, I could hear the water running from the shower, and even feel the steam as I walked by the closed door. Edward must have gotten home not too long ago.

I brought Aveline in our room and used the alone time feed her. I hated waking her up, especially when she's spent all day crying, but I have to feed her at a good time. Once she was fed, I changed her diaper, and put her into little footsie pajamas. She yawned and nestled into me.

I kissed the top of her head. She was such a sweet little baby.

The water from the shower turned off and there was movement from the bathroom. I waited and in a few minutes, Edward came out of the bathroom. He was wearing blue pants and had dripping wet, bronze hair. When he walked in, he a looked a little surprise, like he wasn't expecting me to be sitting there.

"Hey." He said.

I smiled. "Hi."

He walked over and took a seat next to me. He smelt like soap and bathwater. "What ended up happening with the car?"

"My dad came and picked me up. We called a car company and they took it to the shop. We can pick it up on Sunday." I sighed. "I'm sorry about not being able to pick you up from practice. And about the car messing up."

"No," he said, "I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault the engine jacked up."

"I know how much you love your car." I teased.

"How did the pictures turn out?" He asked me.

I held up one finger and after putting Aveline down in her crib, grabbed the wad of pictures from my purse. I plopped back down on the bed and snuggled up next to Edward, not even caring that his hair was getting me wet.

We flipped through the pictures together, and they actually turned out really well. I was surprised at the lighting and the emotion that the tiny disposable camera captured. In each one the two of us looked happy and carefree - like we had the world at our fingertips.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw the ones of the three of us. We looked like a family.

Even though I felt so happy in this moment, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about everything that was going on. I pushed the feeling to the back of my mind just like my dad said. He told me that he'd take care of it. He told me not to worry.

And that's exactly what I did.

* * *

**End chapter seven! I can't believe that this is already chapter seven. I feel like nothing has happened yet! A lot will happen in the next three or four chapters. Be ready! I have so many ideas. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited to right them.**

**P.S. I edited half of the chapter this time. Halfway proud?**

**Until next time, my lovelies!**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley**


	8. Twinkly Lights and College Frights

**Hey guys! I am so happy right now. Not only did I get amazing response the previous chapter… BUT, I PR'd at my cross country race by forty seconds, and I beat my season goal in the middle of season. I'm just floating right now.**

**But I didn't edit. At all. I posted this earlier than I thought I would and my parents have a time alarm on the computer, so after midnight I can't be on the computer. I finished this with five minutes to spare. Sorry! ):**

* * *

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BPOV

It was the last day of school before winter break, and everyone was ecstatic. When I walked into school, people were merrily skipping down the hallways singing Christmas songs, handing gifts to each other, and munching on gingerbread cookies. Girls were wearing tacky sweaters that you were only supposed to wear in December and all the guys wore the cheesy shirts their girlfriends made for them.

That's one of the things I love most about this part of the year; the atmosphere. Everyone is so happy and nice to each other that you can't help but feel the holiday cheer.

This was also Aveline's first Christmas, and I'm very excited for that. Of course she won't remember it, but I will. I can't wait to see her in her adorable Christmas dress and help her open presents on Christmas morning.

_Presents_. Edward and I had been slacking off with gift buying this year. Money was a little tight, for obvious reasons, but we're trying to make it work. We have to buy a gift for his parents, his siblings, Rosalie, my dad, and presents from "Santa" for Aveline. That's not including something for each other.

Everything else was ready. The tree was up, lights were strung, and the fireplace roared every night. It was just the gifts. We have a week to get everything ready, but I can't help but feel stressed about not being on top of things like I usually am.

Maybe we could go to Port Angeles after school and get some of it done.

I sighed. Now was not the time to be worrying about the joyous Christmas feel. I had seven midterms to take today, and I really needed to focus on every single one of them.

On that last day of the first semester, Edward and I walked to first period together.

"Are you nervous for midterms?" He asked, trying to make conversation. We had no books to carry so we walked freely; our arms swaying by our sides, brushing against one another.

"You mean all seven of them?" I laughed sarcastically and rolled my eyes. "I'm not too worried." I paused for a second. "Well, maybe about math, but that's it. Everything else should be a breeze."

"… and my everything else you mean English?" Edward smirked and poked me in the side.

"Ha-ha." I shook my head. "I can't help it if I'm a freak when it comes to grammar. I'm an English nerd."

"_My _English nerd." He grinned.

"I know, I know." I winked at him. "Come on, let's go ace these midterms."

* * *

The entire day was frustrating, hard, and long. If I wasn't done with a test within twenty minutes, then I had my pencil to my paper to the very last second. I would have finished a lot of my tests earlier if my wonderful teachers hadn't put a bonus question at the end that involved serious thinking (which after just taking an impossibly long test is quite difficult).

But I finished all of my tests and felt confident with all of them too.

I would have loved to have known all my grades today, but I knew that it would take my teachers at least a week to grade everything and enter my grades into the grade book. . I hated not knowing things. It made me feel very anxious.

After seventh period (and after I watched a group of seniors stride down the hallway with a guitar singing a Justin Bieber song), I slowly walked towards my locker. I had a few things that I needed to work on over the break and I needed my binders.

Edward was probably already at his car and waiting for me so I tried my best to hurry.

"Bella." I heard someone say as I closed my locker.

I turned and saw Ms. Holland standing at the edge of the hallway. She was wearing a sleeveless red dress with a green cardigan over it, paired with festive heels. She wore a smile on her face as she walked over to me.

"Oh, Ms. Holland!" I said and smiled at her. "How have you been?"

"I've been great." She told me. "Just excited for the holidays. It's my favorite time of year."

She walked with me as I headed for the car. While we walked, she asked me about midterms, my classes, and plans for college. I should have been expecting it, but it took me off guard when she asked me about Aveline. I had completely forgotten that she had her son at a young age as well and understood exactly what I was going through.

I answered all of her questions and even threw some back at her. She was so easy to talk to. She hardly seemed like the principal of my school; she felt more like a family friend.

"Have a nice Christmas." I said as Edward's Volvo pulled up.

"You too, Bella." She waved then crossed her arms over her chest. "Merry Christmas."

It was freezing outside and I was eager to escape the wintry weather, so I hurried into the car. Edward kissed me as I slid into the passenger seat and he sped off onto the empty road. I put my hands over the little vent in a sad attempt to warm my fingers up.

"How was your day?" I asked once I was feeling a little warmer.

"Eh." He shrugged. "I don't think that test taking is my calling."

"I'm sure you did great." I sighed and fell back against the leather seat. "It's been such a long day. All I want is hot chocolate and blankets and sleep."

Edward smiled warmly. "I think we can arrange that."

"Ugh, no, you're not supposed to agree to that. I was going to suggest us going to Port Angeles and get some Christmas presents."

He chuckled. "How about we do both?"

"See, this is why I love you."

"Oh, so it has nothing to do with my spectacular good looks, charm, and talent?" Edward teased and winked at me.

"Nope. Not at all. But it does have to do with your horrible sense of direction. You're headed towards Seattle, not Port Angeles." I pointed out.

He made a quick turn on the empty road and headed for the other direction. We listened to Christmas music the entire ride to the mall, which made me happy. I normally don't like shopping, but it's not as bad when it's with Edward. He makes it bearable.

I was belting out the lyrics to "Last Christmas" when Edward turned the engine off, and I was suddenly singing solo. My voice cracked when I realized this and I shot him a look.

" Let's go find some presents, love."

"Coming… _honey_." I laughed. I didn't have a cute nickname to call Edward. He called me 'love' and I called him Edward.

We hopped out of the car and hurried to the first store we could see. It was absolutely freezing and I could feel small snowflakes falling against my pale skin.

The two of us walked around hand in hand. We were mostly window shopping, because a lot of the stores that they had here didn't have things that that either of us thought would be good presents. Then again, I had no idea what I wanted to get for everyone.

It was either too generic or just plain weird. There was virtually nothing.

"What about this?" I asked, holding up a football jersey to my chest. "I think Emmett would like this."

"I think he has that one."

I threw my head back and groaned. "Of course he does."

"We'll find something." Edward reassured me. "Let's keep looking."

So we did. We walked around the mall together and finally decided that we should just go in every store they had until we found something, because there had to be at least one thing in one store for one person.

It took forever, and by the time we had finally found something that was just so perfect, my legs were aching from all the walking. It was a thin, short sleeved creamy white shirt with the face of a cat on it. When I saw it, I immediately thought of my friend from Seattle, Violet.

I looked at it and fiddled with the price tag. It was on sale.

"I think Violet would like this."

He looked at it. "You'd know better than me, but I think it's nice. Is there anything else in here that would work?"

After a few more minutes of searching, I found a few things that Alice would love. There was a shirt that was white and had a sparkly bottle on it that read 'love potion'. I also saw grabbed a heart necklace, and cute head wraps for her to try out.

We checked out - the price was a little higher than I thought it would be - and we left the mall. I was honestly a little disappointed that we had only shopped for two people, and that we still had to buy all of Aveline's presents.

I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Hey Edward?" I asked. We were in the car and on our way home.

"Mhm?"

"Do you think that we could invite Violet and Dylan over soon?" I thought about the adorable cat shirt I had gotten her. I couldn't wait to give it to her.

"That'd be cool. You should call and ask if they want to come over tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Everyone else will be gone. My parents are driving down to California for the weekend right when we get home, remember? Alice will be out at some Christmas party, and Emmett is going to be with Rose." Edward reminded me. "That way they don't have to deal with chaos of the house."

I laughed. The house did get chaotic sometimes. But it was never a bad kind of chaotic - it was always good.

I slid my phone out of my pocket and hesitantly dialed her number. I always felt nervous when I asked someone to do something with me. I was desperately afraid of being rejected and embarrassing myself thoroughly.

The phone rang, and rang, and rang.

When someone picked up on the other end, all I could hear was the sound of a crying baby followed by a muffled, "Hello?".

"Violet. Hi, um, it's me, Bella."

"Oh, hi! Sorry I knew it was you. I just completely blanked out for a second." She paused for a second. "Um, how are you?"

"I was just calling to ask if you and Dylan wanted to come over tomorrow night? I know it's last minute and it's a long drive, but - "

"No, that'd be fantastic." She answered immediately. "When and where?"

I told her the address and told her that around three would be a good time. She thanked me for inviting her over and we both hung up. I was actually surprised that she had agreed to hang out with us. She seems like more of the girl that stands alone.

"They'll be here tomorrow at three."

Edward grinned. "Sounds like a date."

* * *

The spent the next day cleaning the house. I didn't want Violet and Dylan to be disgusted by the house, even though it wasn't even that dirty to begin with. Nonetheless, I vacuumed, dusted, swept, and mopped everything.

Edward tried to calm me down, and told me that they weren't going to go around inspecting the house with a magnifying glass, but I didn't care. I went all out with the cleaning, and even baked cookies to eat later on.

By the time I had finally finished cleaning, it was nearly two thirty.

"Gah! Is that really the time?" I looked down at my sweats and ratty old t-shirt. "I need to get changed… and I need to take care of Aveline…"

Edward put his hands on my shoulder. "You go shower and get dressed and I'll take care of Aveline."

I smiled. "Thank you so much."

He kissed me on the cheek and I darted up the stairs to get ready. I took just about the quickest shower of my entire life, and walked into our bedroom with a towel around me. Edward was changing Aveline's diaper when I walked in.

I yanked opened the closet, and settled for a simple black, long sleeved shirt, and a pair of jeans. I didn't have time to raid through Alice's closet for something to wear.

"Bella, love, calm down. You have time."

I felt his eyes on my as I pulled the shirt over my head. "No, I don't. They'll be here any minute now."

I ran out of the bedroom and headed downstairs. I glanced at the clock in the kitchen… five minutes.

Just as Edward was walking downstairs with Aveline in his arms, there was a small knock on the door. I opened it to see Violet, Dylan, and their precious baby boy, who Dylan held in his arms. I saw that her hand was clutched onto his arm and I couldn't but smiling. When we had first met them, they two were only friends, but I had a sneaking suspicion that they would end up together.

"Hey!" I said with a huge smile on my face and hugged Violet. She was so tiny that I could feel her bones press against my body.

"Hi, Bella! You look so nice." She commented.

I didn't think that she was the one to be talking. She looked absolutely flawless. Violet was one of those girls who could pull off outrageous outfits that would look hideous on me. She wore her long hair down with bright red lips; a black skirt, an oversized sweater, and combat boots.

I felt a small twinge of jealousy.

"You too!" I told her and pulled out of the hug.

All of us walked into the living room. They all talked while I made peppermint hot chocolate for everyone to share, and even brought out some of the cookies I made earlier. The fireplace was on and I was surrounded by some of my best friends, my lover, and my baby. This is just about as amazing as it gets.

"I can't believe you guys actually drove all the way down here." I said, sitting on the couch next to Edward. He nonchalantly put his arm around me like it was no big deal, but his fingertips tugged on the edge of my sweater and tickled against my bare skin. It was warm in the room, but I felt a shiver run up my spine.

"Well, you guys come down to Seattle a lot and we've never been to Forks." She explained, taking a sip out of her hot chocolate mug.

"And you guys are nice enough to make the trip for." Dylan grinned.

Violet laughed. "It's just kind of nice having someone who knows what we're going through. Being teen parents isn't as easy as I thought it would have been."

I looked over at Aveline. She was sleeping soundly in her pack-in-play that we had brought downstairs earlier. It wasn't easy taking care of her all the time. It's frustrating when I don't know what she wants. It's tiring when she screams all night. In fact, at times it can be a living nightmare. But I wouldn't trade her for anything - the long nights and frustration are worth it because the most beautiful thing in the world is mine… and that's her.

"It's worth it." I said softly.

"Of course it is." She agreed.

The four of us sat in silence for a moment. The fire crackled and Aveline stirred in her sleep.

"So." Dylan said clearing his throat. "Where are you guys thinking about for college?"

"University of Washington." Edward told him and smiled as he explained about his cross country scholarship, to which they were both majorly impressed by. "We're just waiting for Bella's acceptance letter, which will be here any day now." He looked at me and winked.

I blushed.

"Oh, you'll definitely get in, Bella." Violet seconded.

"'Cause you're like, what, valedictorian, NHS president, Beta Club…" Dylan listed off a huge list of extra curricular activities, and I couldn't help but laugh. Listening to everything I was involved in made me sound like I had no life outside of school.

"Dylan's going to college in Seattle also."

"Really? What major?" I asked him.

"I want to work with sports medicine."

"I'm going into the medical field, too." Edward chimed in. "I'd like to be an ER doctor, though." He said, and modestly left out the part about the paid internship.

"What about you?" I looked at Violet. "What are you majoring in?"

Her face fell and I saw the smallest bit of disappointment in her electric blue eyes. "I'm not going to college. I'm staying home with the baby."

My eyes crossed over to Edward's and we stared at each other with the exact same realization. Even if I did get accepted into the university, it would be unlikely that I would even get to go. We'd be up in Seattle with no family to watch Aveline.

That really hit me hard. My throat closed up a bit and I had to blink away the tears that burned my eyes. Edward rubbed his fingers deep into my side - an attempt to relax me, I guessed - before he averted his attention back to our guests.

How had we not thought about this? Had we really been so stupid? Had _I_ really been that stupid? Silly me thinking that I could go to college and take care of a baby. Taking care of her while I was in high school was already hard enough. College would be a nightmare.

I looked over at Aveline again. She was awake now, and once she saw me, she started whining. I quietly excused myself from the conversation on the new Mumford & Sons album to take care of my baby.

I took her upstairs to our bedroom and sat on the bed with her. She started screaming, and I held her close to my chest, closing my eyes and rocking back and forth.

"She's worth it, she's worth it…" I repeated to myself and kissed the top of her head.

After fifteen minutes of constant soothing, I changed her diaper, then fed her. She calmed down a little bit, though she was still crying softly to herself. I picked her up and walked back to the living room. I would just hold her while we talked.

"I'm so sorry about that." I apologized and took my seat next to Edward again.

"You're fine." Violet smiled.

"Bella, we were just talking about housing down in Seattle." Edward told me. "They said that they know a few places with apartments that are cheap."

"We'd be more than happy to write them down for you. Then you guys could come down to Seattle one weekend and we could look at some with you." She suggested. "Since we know the area."

"That's be nice." I nodded my head, looking at Edward.

Violet and Dylan didn't stay for too much longer. They still had to make the three hour drive back to Seattle and it was already during six. We all hugged at the door and promised that we would see each other soon. I watched as they got into their car and drove down the road, disappearing into the late December sunset.

They were really sweet people. I really liked hanging out with them. Violet used to be so quiet around everyone but she's seemed to open up in the past few weeks. And Dylan was really funny. He reminded me of a put together version of Emmett. It just was just a bummer that they lived so far away.

I stretched my arms out and yawned widely.

Edward unexpectedly came up behind me and started massaging my neck. I laughed and rose my shoulders up, trying to push him off. "Stop, that tickles." I giggled.

"You're tense." He said. "And do you know what that means?"

"Uh, what?" I asked as he dug his fingers deeper into my neck.

"That you're worrying about something…"

My body relaxed and I sighed. "Edward, I - "

He turned me around so that I was looking at him, and he held my face in his warm hands. I stared up into his green eyes as he spoke. "Bella, listen. I understand that you're worried and that we maybe hadn't thought this through like we thought we had, but I promise we will make it through this." He pressed his lips to his head.

"I know that we will. It's just…"

"Just?"

I looked down at the floor. "One of us has to go to school, and that's obviously going to be you. I know that we want to try and make this work, but let's face it, it's unlikely."

He frowned. "Don't think like that. You have to be positive."

"Be positive? How can I be positive when there's a huge possibility I might not get to go to college?" I shook my head. "There's just no way."

"I can think of one."

"Oh, really?"

Edward nodded. "You can take morning classes and I can take night classes. Or you can go to school online. Or there's always dayca - "

"No, no, no. I am _not_ putting her in daycare!"

"What's wrong with daycare?"

I explained to him how I didn't feel comfortable with leaving my newborn baby alone with a group of strangers. I don't care how prestigious or reputable they are; I don't want my child left with them all day. He questioned why I didn't trust them, and I pressed why he did. We pushed each other's buttons.

One thing led to another, and we were screaming at each other.

"STOP!" I finally yelled. "Please, stop… I don't want to fight… I'm sorry… I'm just so confused right now…"

Edward stopped and looked me. His green eyes immediately softened and he reached to touch my arm. I closed my eyes, and tears flowed down my cheeks. He wiped them with his thumb and pulled me into his arms, where I sobbed into his chest.

Weeks of stress and worry poured out, and I clutched onto Edward, and had no intention of letting go. He rubbed my back slowly, but held me tightly as I cried.

"Please… don't… leave me." I choked out.

He froze. "Isabella, you know that that would never happen. I love you and everything that we have."

"I love you too." I said shakily and looked up at him.

"We're going to figure this out." He promised me. "Let's take baby steps. We'll do things one tiny step at a time. And the first step is making sure that you get in. Okay?"

I nodded my head slowly and whispered, "okay."

Edward kissed my forehead, and let his lips linger there. I kept my eyes shut and leaned my head towards his. Our noses were touching and I could feel the heat from his breath against my skin.

He pressed his lips against mine. I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck to reach him. The kiss was meaningful and passionate. It made me feel like we were going to somehow make it out of this crazy mess.

The promise ring on my finger glistened in the twinkling lights and I smiled. It was enough to give me hope.

* * *

**Oh, yeah, this is the end of the chapter. I guess all I can say is life makes love look hard. What do you think will happen with Bella and college…? Let me know! Hope you enjoyed it enough to review! (Sorry, this chapter was kind of rushed, as I explained earlier, so it's not my best).**

**I'm still having a great day. I'm going to go sit by the fire and roast marshmallows with my family and think about how it would amazing if you would follow me on twitter *cough halleybrown13 cough *. **

**Sorry. Just trying to build some kind of a fan base since it's my dream in life to be a successful author. I feel like once you have the writing part down, which I think I do, you need people to keep up with you.**

**Love you all so very much!**

**Xoxo, **

**Halley**

**P.S. I'm thinking about writing some kind of horror fanfic for Halloween. I thinking some kind of Criminal Minds episode gone Twilight fanfiction! :DWould you guys check it out if I did?**


	9. One Hundred Percent Completely Us

**I'm finally on fall break! And I have my Breaking Dawn Part 2 tickets for the midnight showing! But, I'm writing this chapter from the car on my way to a cross country meet… we got to leave school early ;)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's kind of short. ( BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER IS A CHAPTER YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR FOR A VERY LONG TIME.)**

**And I posted my Halloween story so it'd be great if you would go and check that out. (:**

* * *

_BPOV_

The new year came and past, and before we knew it, we were putting away Christmas decorations and getting ready for our last semester of high school. It was funny to think that this was my last January in high school.

At the start of every new year, I try to make a resolution and stick with it, but I never do. Majority of the time I don't even begin to go through with the resolution, but this year I want that to change. I want to do better things with my life.

I desperately want to stop trying to reach perfection. I've always felt like everything has to be perfect and if it's not, then it's not good. Lately, I've realized that life isn't perfect. Like is a crazy, messy, emotional rollercoaster with twists and turns that you can never plan for.

Perfection is imperfect.

"Bella, are you almost ready to go?" Edward called from the hallway.

I looked around our room. "I don't know. Do you have the baby bag?"

"Yes."

"And the baby?"

He poked his head through the door. "Of course I have the baby, silly girl."

I shook my head, realizing the stupidity of my question. Of course Edward wouldn't haveforgotten Aveline.

"Yeah, I know, I know…" I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Alright, let's go. I'm ready to leave."

We were going to Seattle today to take Violet and Dylan up on their offer to show us some apartments in the area. Whether I get accepted or not, or if I even go or not, Edward's going to school up there. And where he goes, we follow.

The two of us moved everything intro the Volvo and hit the road. The weather was dark and gloomy - typical Washington weather. I leaned my head against the cool window and closed my eyes. Edward reached over and grabbed my hand as he drove, lightly brushing his fingers against my thumb. The bass hummed to the music that softly echoed throughout the car - the kind of music that fit rainy day moods.

The car was warm and happy so I started to day daydream. The excitement of going house hunting for the first time aroused a new kind of feeling. A feeling of hope and new beginnings. I thought about the perfect place where Aveline could play and I could write next to a window with a beautiful view of the city below. Something small, cozy, and one hundred percent, completely us.

By the time we finally got to Seattle, the rain was pouring and the temperature had dropped down at least ten degrees. I felt unprepared for the sudden change in weather, and suddenly wished that we had dressed Aveline in better clothes. Maybe we could go and buy her a sweater from somewhere nearby.

We pulled in front of a small apartment complex in a fairly busy part of town. Cars honked every ten seconds and the chatter of people was loud and obnoxious. This was where Violet and Dylan lived. We were supposed to meet them here.

"Do you think Aveline will be warm enough?" I glanced at her in the mirror. She was sound asleep in her little car seat.

Edward shrugged out of his black jacket and handed it to me. "You can put that around her when we get out of the car."

I frowned. "But won't you be cold?"

He put his arm around me and kissed me on the side of the forehead. "That's what you're here for."

"I knew there was a real reason you kept me around…" I smirked as I played along. He chuckled breathlessly and leaned in to press his soft, warm, and sweet lips against mine.

I looked up and saw a couple standing on steps to the building. I squinted and soon recognized them as Violet and Dylan. He pulled the keys out of the ignition and I ran to the backseat to get Aveline. I wrapped the black jacket around her and pulled the car seat out of place.

Edward was up there talking to them when I finally got there too.

Violet smiled and I noticed she was wearing the shirt I had gotten her for Christmas, which was really sweet of her. It looked nice too, just like I had assumed it would have.

She looked down at Aveline and gasped. "Oh god, she's getting so big!"

"She'd be even bigger if she would actually sleep at night." I joked and gave her an awkward one armed hug since I was holding Aveline in the other. "But, what's the plan for today? Where exactly are we looking?"

Dylan jumped into our conversation. "I thought it'd be cool if we could look at some empty spaces in this building. They're a pretty good price."

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds good to me," he took the car seat from me and grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's go."

We went into the lobby and sitting on one of the couches was a woman with short brown hair in a business suit. She walked up to us and smiled.

"Hello, my name is Rachel Higginbotham." She shook our hands. "I'll be your real-estate agent for the process in buying your first apartment."

I nodded slowly in confusion because I hadn't remembered getting a real estate agent. Maybe Dylan and Violet had put something together for us. I'd have to thank them later.

She led up the stairs and to the small model room they had open. When I first stepped through the door, I immediately noticed how dark it was. Everything was small, cramped, and depressing. The carpet was brown and the walls were a faded white. All of the kitchen cabinets were wooden and the countertops were green… green! I'm sure that with a lot of fixing up, it would have been very nice, but I don't think that Edward and I are in the position to be renovating right now.

Everyone talked about the indoor pool, and how nice the neighbors are, and how accessible everything is in this part of town.

It sounded nice. The rooms were small and dark, but doable. The only thing that really bothered me was the noise. Even just standing in the room, I could hear everything going on down below. As much as it may kill someone to say, but I'd rather not hear some strangers day when I'm trying to sleep at night.

I looked up at Edward and half smiled.

"It's not bad." He said quietly. "Especially for the price."

"I know. I'm just not sure if it's for us."

"Well, we have all day to look, love." He squeezed my hand. "Come on, let's go look at another apartment."

The six of us all piled into Dylan's forest green Jeep, and we drove to another apartment complex. Because the one we were just at was in downtown Seattle, it took a while to get from point A to point B - another downside to it, getting places on time was next to impossible.

I could tell from the exterior of the building itself that this apartment would be nice. It was towered high into the sky, and had shiny windows that sparkled even in the dark sky. I stared up at it in fascination as we walked into the lobby.

We rode up in the glass elevator to the twenty second floor and went into another model suite where Rachel was already waiting.

As I had expected, the apartment was _very nice_. The walls were a clear, pristine white with beautiful modern chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The kitchen was huge, with an island, and white granite countertops, and the floors were all hardwood. The bedrooms were huge, especially for an apartment, and there was a window with a huge view of the city below.

I stared out of it and smiled. Edward came up behind me with Aveline and handed her to me.

"She wants her mommy." He said and winked at me.

"Of course she does." I picked her up and held her close to my chest. Her little hands wrapped around a chunk of my hair and her fingers played with each strand. I rubbed her back and walked slowly around the apartment.

"This is really nice." I admitted. "I could see us living here."

"Yeah, I really like it to." Edward agreed. "I don't think that the price is on our side, though."

I frowned. "How much?"

When he told me my mouth nearly dropped to the floor. I was shocked and even a little disappointed because there was no way that we would be able to afford something like that. Not with one small paycheck and a newborn baby. It just wasn't going to happen.

I had a small hope in the back of my head that it would happen and that we could live here. We could be a happy little family of three in our beautiful apartment.

We looked at so many more places throughout the day and I found a flaw in every single one of them. I couldn't stop comparing to that modern apartment we looked at earlier. Either is wasn't clean enough or the part of town wasn't good. It was too small or too big. Carpet versus hardwood.

It wasn't until after we had stopped for a very late lunch and headed to the last apartment of the day that I found something that I somewhat liked.

It was small, but comfortable. The carpet felt soft against my feet and the light that poured in through the windows made it feel light and open. When you first walked in, there was a small room to the right with no doors and a window - the perfect room to write in. Moving forward was a kitchen with a bar that overlooked the big living room. To the right of that was a hallway with three rooms… one for us, Aveline, and a guest room, or even a playroom.

It wasn't as nice as the modern one - the image of that one was still in my head - but I could see us here. The rooms were nice, it was on the outskirts of town, and there was a little park just outside.

"This one has a pool as well, outdoor though. There's also a gym, like all the other ones. The park outside is a little different, and there is also running trails just back there." Rachel said as we explored.

Edward walked over to me. "I think this one may be it."

I froze. "Really?"

His hands slid on either side of my waist. "Yeah. I just asked about the price, and I think we can do it. There's a park for Aveline to play in when she's older and a running trail so I don't have to use a treadmill." Edward hated treadmills. "It's a good size… a nice part of town…"

It took me a few days to think it over. At first, all I could think about was that other apartment, but soon, I began to warm up to the other one that Edward loved so much. That's when we put down our first and hopefully last offer. It wasn't what I had wanted, but it was small, cozy, and one hundred percent, completely us.

* * *

It was a Wednesday night and I was trying to get Aveline to stop crying when Edward's mom called me from downstairs. I sighed and put Aveline down in her crib, then bounded down the stairs with an energetic bound to my step. It had been a long day and I was appreciative of the small break.

"Yeah?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen.

She was sitting at the table. "Something came in the mail for you…" She pushed an envelope towards me.

My heart skipped a bit. It had to be about closing on the apartment and whether we had gotten it or not. My hands shook as I picked up the envelope. I leaned against the kitchen counter and slid my thumb under the sealed flap. It ripped open and I pulled out a huge packet of paperwork.

_Ms. Swan,_

_We would like to inform you that we have received your application. We would also like to congratulate your acceptance into The University of Washington! This is a very exciting part of your life, and we are ecstatic that you have chosen U of W in your journey. _

_The journalism program is very happy to have you in their program, and would like to remind you that classes begin early September. Please look through the pages included for more information._

_Once again, thank you for picking us! Do not hesitate to call if you have any further questions._

_- The University of Washington_

My face felt pale and I was almost positive that my heart had entirely stopped beating. I got accepted. _I got accepted. _

"Bella? What's wrong?" Esme asked.

"I… I got accepted!"

She dropped the newspaper she was reading onto the kitchen table and gasped. Tears flooded her eyes and she ran over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. I couldn't help but wear a huge grin on my face as she congratulated me and cried like a mother should.

They actually accepted me. Of all people, me! Even with all of the hardships we've been through, I got in. They didn't care that I had a baby or that my mother was put into prison or that one of my friends had mysteriously disappeared. They wanted me for me - the good and the bad.

I grabbed the home phone and called my dad, who was just as excited as Esme had been, if not more.

"We should have a party." Esme suggested. "To celebrate graduation and college acceptance."

"And Rosalie and Emmett going off to Chicago."

"Oh, god. May is going to be crazy for all of us. All of my kids are going to be gone." She put her hand to her head and sighed heavily then shook her head. "No, no. It's good. Change is good." She smiled. "That's why we're going to have a little celebration."

"I'll be there." I winked.

"You'll be the guest of honor!"

I laughed, and after being congratulated once again by Esme, went back upstairs to my baby. She was sleeping soundly in her crib. I couldn't help but wonder how I had been lucky enough to have such a beautiful little girl like her. She was perfect; my own little angel.

I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

When I turned around, the door was opening, and Edward walked in. He was wearing his clothes from work - khaki pants, a button down striped blue shirt, and messy bronze hair. He smiled at me and threw his white coat on the ground.

"Hey." He said and studied my face. "You look happy."

"I am." My voice broke into an airy laugh.

He took a step towards me. "And why's that?"

"Because I got accepted." I cried and ran into his arms. He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his stomach; my arms locked around his neck. He looked me in the eye and leaned in to kiss me passionately on the lips. I kissed him back with as much lust as I could muster and tangled my fingers through his hair.

He stumbled forward and we both fell onto the bed.

Edward hovered over me and left a trail of kisses from jaw line to jaw line. I giggled and he smiled my favorite crooked smile.

"I told you so." He whispered.

"You did." I whispered back.

And we continued passionately into the night.

* * *

**;)**

**Review! I love you guys.**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley**


	10. Wear It

**Hello! I'm writing you from Arkansas right now. I feel like I'm always traveling and I'm always writing my next chapter in a hotel room. Nonetheless, thank you for all of the feedback on the last chapter. That was so nice. You guys are awesome.**

**P.S. Lot's of craziness in this chapter. A lot, a lot, A LOT.**

* * *

_BPOV  
_

At fix months old, Aveline has finally grown out of her colic. Most of the loud, sleepless nights are over, and we've entered a new stage of her newborn life… crawling - or her attempt at crawling, anyway. She gets on her hands and knees and tries to move forward, and when she can't, she starts screaming and falls onto the floor.

I'll admit that it's kind of cute to watch (there are hundreds of pictures on my phone), but once I realize how upset and helpless she looks, I end of helping her.

I'm still waiting for her first word. She's been babbling and cooing and smiling and laughing… but no words yet. I'm praying that I'll be there when it happens, too. I think I'll die if I don't.

"Morning." I said as I walked downstairs. It was Edward's one day off and he was already downstairs with Aveline making coffee.

He smiled at me. "Morning, love."

"What's for breakfast?"

"That depends on what you want." He winked at me.

I slid into a chair. "Oh god, pancakes. I'm starving."

"Yes, ma'am." He said and moved over to the pantry to grab some pancake mix and a mixing bowl. While he was made breakfast, I fed Aveline.

Things were going very well for us lately. I had been accepted into college and we made an offer on an apartment we both really loved. As much as I had wanted to get the full college experience, I decided to take online courses in journalism. That way I can stay home with Aveline and still get my degree. May is just around the corner, which means that graduation is only a few short weeks away.

It's a lot of craziness that's going on right now. But it's the kind of craziness that I think it good for you. The kind that makes your head swirl because you're so busy but at the end of the day, you still go to sleep with a smile on your face.

Graduation is really what I'm most worried about. There isn't much time yet and I still have to write my Valedictorian speech and go dress shopping, which doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me, it is.

Alice, Rosalie, and I had planned on going dress shopping together today though, while the boys stayed at home with Aveline.

"Don't forget that you're watching Aveline today." I reminded Edward.

"Oh, yeah." He said.

"Why? It's not messing with your day is it? Because if it is, then I cou - "

"No, no, Bella. We were just going to stay at home and watch football anyway." He smiled at me. "Go out and enjoy yourself. I think that you deserve it."

That felt nice to hear. Hearing someone else say that I deserved to go out and just enjoy myself made me feel a lot better than trying to convince myself of it.

After eating a very filling breakfast, the three of us all went upstairs to get ready for the day. I jumped into the shower and dressed into jeans, boots, and a light brown sweater, while Aveline was dressed comfortable in pink pants and a long sleeved white shirt.

I would have been ready to go right then and there, but it takes Alice ages to get ready, and Rosalie wasn't even here yet. To pass the time, I put Aveline down on the bed and sat next to her. She unsteadily got up on her hands on knees and looked down at the ground in deep concentration. She lurched her body forward and got nowhere. That's when she looked up at me in frustration and started crying.

"Come on, baby." I whispered and put my hand on her back. "You can do it."

She put one hand in front of her and fell onto the bed. She was still in tears when she tried to bring herself up again and move - but didn't succeed. I could tell just by looking at her that she was determined and was going to keep trying until she got it right.

Edward walked into the room. I looked at him and he smiled at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Aveline is trying to crawl again, and I'm trying to help her."

He chuckled underneath his breath and took a seat next to me. He put his arm around my waist and kissed me on the cheek. "Any luck?"

I frowned. "So far not so good."

"She'll get there eventually."

I heard Alice call my name from downstairs and I knew that it was time for me to go. I said goodbye to Aveline, who was still crying, and gave Edward a very long goodbye kiss. By the time we had finished, I could hear Alice's footsteps on the staircase, so I grabbed my purse and ran.

"I'm coming!" I yelled.

"I thought you would never come." Alice cried. "Thank god you're here. We've got some dress shopping to do!"

For five hours, I was dragged to every single store in both Forks and Port Angeles to try on dresses. The first few stores weren't bad - I actually kind of liked it. But once we ad reached the fourth store, my feet started to hurt from walking so much, and I was getting a little irritable.

Soon every dress started to look the same and I became so disinterested in the dress picking process, that I let Alice and Rosalie both pick the dress that I was going to wear (which I knew that I would later regret).

And so my dress for graduation ended up being a black sweetheart neckline, spaghetti dragged dress with a flowing, nude colored skirt, that had a sparkling band just underneath the bust. It looked nice on me, probably better when my hair wasn't thrown into a messy bun and I actually had makeup on, but it was decent.

I let them pick out some shoes, and even a necklace, then bought everything.

I was so exhausted by that point that when I finally got home the first thing I did was collapse onto the bed and bury a pillow deep into my chest. Aveline was asleep in her crib, and Edward was sitting on the floor messing with his guitar softly.

"How was dress shopping?"

"Ugh." I groaned. "I do not want to talk about it."

He put the guitar down and walked over to me. "So, I'm guessing that means you don't want to model the dress for me?"

I rolled over and gave him a look that screamed no.

Edward cuddled up next to me and kissed the side of my face. He tucked a strand of hair behind me ear as he spoke. "My poor Bella. They forced you to walk around the mall all day and try on pretty dresses."

"I know." I mumbled into his chest. He smelt good.

"A beautiful girl like you shouldn't be put through that amount of torture." He teased. I banged on his chest playfully and rolled my eyes. He could be so cheesy sometimes. "Did they make you try on shoes?"

"Edward…"

"You know what they say, if the shoe fits, wear it."

I put a finger to my lips and looked up at him. He smirked and pulled me closer to him. Now that I was with Edward, I felt a little bit better. My mood wasn't as sour and I didn't feel so aggravated with the world. I love when that happens. I love how special he is.

"I love you." I told him.

"Well I love you too."

And that's how we spent the rest of our night - wrapped in each other's arms.

Tuesday afternoon came, and Edward was at work.

I was alone with Aveline. She was sitting nicely in my arms, playing with a chunk of my hair while I tried my best to write a paper that was due on Friday. It was one of our very last grades of the semester for English, so I needed this to be the paper of a lifetime.

When I was working on my third body paragraph, my cell phone vibrated on the bed. I sighed. I had just been in the writing zone. I unlocked the screen and saw an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" I answered, sounding and feeling unsure of myself.

"This is Officer Williams down at the Forks Police Department. Is this Isabella Swan speaking?"

"Yes…" I said slowly.

"Would you mind coming down to the station? We have a few questions to ask you."

I closed my laptop and switched Aveline to my other arm. "What is this about?"

"Your friend Lauren. We think that we may have found her."

The phone fell out of my hand and landed on the bed with a soft thud. My body went completely numb. They may have found her. A million thoughts raced through my head - was she okay? Was she hurt? Was she even alive? I started shaking and without any warning, I began to cry.

After a moment of pure shock, I picked up the phone.

"Isabella, are you still there?"

"Yes, yes…."

"Would you be able to come down to the station?"

"Of course." I whispered.

"We'll see you in a bit then." The officer said before the line went dead.

I held Aveline close to my chest and started breathing heavily. I put my hand on her head and swayed back and forth slowly. All along Lauren had come across as bitter and mean, but she had done so much for me that night. She saved me and risked her own life in the process.

More tears rushed down my cheeks as I flashbacked to the stormy November night.

* * *

_Lightning flashed brightly in the sky, lightening up the gloominess. Thunder clapped in the dark storming sky of which black and gray clouds covered up like a blanket, hugging away every ounce of light._

_I instantly hugged onto my pillows and wrapped myself into my blankets. I wished Edward was here. He always held me when I had a nightmare. I could almost feel his soft lips against my clammy skin, and his warm body protecting me from the raging storm._

_Lauren looked up at me from her magazine and raised her eyebrow._

_"What time is it?" I mumbled._

_"I don't know. Half past midnight, I think." She looked back down at her magazine and flipped through the flimsy pages. Even in the dim light, I could see her; her blonde hair in a ponytail, her long sleeved pants and shirt, the hot pink nail polish on her nails._

_Everything felt so vivid and real._

_"You okay…?" She asked. "You look kind of pale… or paler than usual. You should try tanning someday."_

_"No, I just had a nightmare." I told her, ignoring her comment about my pale skin. I looked over at my phone and reached for it. Edward might not be here next to me, but it doesn't meant that I can't call him, even if it is the dead of the night._

_"Don't bother. There's still no cell service."_

_As I reached over to grab my phone, I felt a sudden pain shoot straight to my abdomen. I gasped and dropped my hand to my stomach, trying to find the source of the unfamiliar pain; it was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched tighter and tighter onto my protruding stomach, gasping for breath._

_Lauren stared at me and dropped her magazine on her bed._

_"Oh my god." I breathed heavily._

_"Bella?" She said, stepping up from her bed, looking at me with a worried look in her blue eyes. She slowly walked towards me, an obvious sign of hesitation in each step._

_"Something's wrong…" I managed to spit out between breaths._

_"What is it? Bella, you're scaring me…"_

_"I think… it's… time." I told her slowly. "The baby… is… coming."_

_Lauren opened her mouth, as if to say something, but was quickly cut off by the lights immediately switching off. I sat in the dark, panting, and clutching onto the sheets underneath me. The pain in my stomach was slowly spreading to my back, and was only getting worse._

_"Shit."_

_Tears immediately flooded my eyes._

_Here I was, alone, in the middle of the goddamn woods with no electricity, no phone service, in the middle of the night, my boyfriend was miles away from home, and my baby was on the way._

_This was a horrible idea. I should have listened to Edward. I should have followed my instincts. But there was no turning back now. What was done, was done, and Lauren and I were in a heap of trouble._

_I heard Lauren stumble around the room. There was a small light coming from the other side of the room, and I recognized it as her cell phone. She held it up in the air, walking around in panicked circles._

_"Please work, please, please, please!" She cried. "Oh my god, please."_

_I whimpered loudly._

_She looked over at me for a split second, then to the door. She ran over and flung it open, revealing the pitch black night. Rain immediately pelted the wooden floors, and a gust of strong, cold wind flew into the room, spraying a mist of the rain in my direction._

_Lauren then ran over to me, her footsteps thudding against the creaky floorboards._

_"Bella, we have to get you out of here."_

_"But the car is…" I breathed deeply, my hand going limp on my stomach. "Far away."_

_"I know, but you can't have the baby here. You just can't. I don't know how to deliver a baby!" Lauren whispered, tugging on my arm. "Come on, Bella."_

_I sat up and slowly turned so that my legs were dangling off of the bed. Lauren then grabbed a hold of both of my hands and gently brought me to my feet. The throbbing in my stomach only deepened as I stood. I fell to my knees, bringing Lauren down to the ground with me._

_She shook her head and gripped tightly onto my hands now, forcing me back up. I gasped quietly at the sudden, harsh contraction, and looked over at Lauren - though she couldn't see me - with painful eyes._

_Lauren draped my arm around her shoulder, and her arm around my waist. Now with almost all of my weight on her, she headed for the door. We both dragged our feet simultaneously; like a rhythm that danced along with the pounding rainstorm._

_When we reached the door, she kicked open with the door, revealing the darkness once again._

_This time, she took no moment to hesitate. She stood up straight, repositioned my arm on her shoulder and walked straight outside._

_We were instantly drenched by the rain that beat down on our skin. As if we couldn't see before, it was only worse now. The rain destroyed what little vision we had. Now we were walking what seemed like aimlessly through the woods. The wind blew strongly in my face, whipping my cheeks. I could hear the trees swaying back and forth, and the whooshing sound as it circled the empty woods._

_I whimpered again._

_What if I didn't make it to the car in time? What if I had the baby right now, in the middle of the woods? She would surely die if that happened, and I would never be able to forgive myself if it did. I don't think Edward would either - he would blame it all on me, just like I would._

_I couldn't tell if I was crying or not; the rain that was dripping down my face hid my tears amongst them._

_No. I refused to let that happen._

_Strongly and painfully, I continued to walk through my horror movie. Lauren stood silently by my side, pushing the both of us through this. I would grip tighter onto her as each contraction worsened, and she would force me to take another painful step._

_Suddenly, Lauren stopped. I felt her arm leave me waist, and she was pushing me forward with harsh hands. I was about to scream, until I realized that the rain had suddenly stopped and I was inside of our protection… the car._

_She slammed the door and ran over to the other side, pulling herself in. She fumbled with her keys before she shoved them into the ignition and turned them. The car quickly roared to life and she flung it into reverse._

_I could hear the mud splashing against her window as she tried to back up. Her tires had sunk into the mud making it impossible to back up._

_Lauren cursed and put the car drive._

_"What are you doing?" I screeched. "You're going to hit a tree!"_

_"I know what I'm doing." She growled, gripping onto the steering wheel with her perfectly filed, pink nails._

_She carefully inched the car by the forest, coming so close to the trees that I could reach out and touch it. My heart thudded in my chest as she continued to slowly drive. Then, she all of a sudden slammed her foot on the accelerator and we were off._

_I sat back in my car and closed my eyes, gripping onto the arm seats for supports._

_Inhale._

_Exhale._

_Inhale._

_Exhale._

_A little while down the road, Lauren snatched up her phone and dialed in a number. She held it to her ear, still staring at the road with intent eyes. It was hard for me to see past the intense rain. The only source of light were the sudden flickers of lightning._

_"My friend is in labor." Lauren said into the phone, sounding just as panicked and scared as I did. "We're on our way… very close… no… yes… alright." She shut her phone and dropped it in her seat. Her foot pushed down on the accelerator and drove even faster._

_Another contraction hit me, and I let out a muffled scream, silenced by my lips._

_"I'm driving as fast as I can, Bella." Lauren reassured me. "It's okay, it's okay."_

_"I… want… Edward…" I sobbed._

_Edward would be devastated if he didn't get here in time for the baby, and I would too. He needed to be here. I wanted him here helping me through this. I wanted to see his face when our baby was first born; see the happiness in his eyes; his reaction to finally being a father._

_She didn't answer me. She reached out and grabbed my hand from the arm rest and gave it a gentle squeeze. I tightened my grip on her hand, probably stopping the blood flow, but, for once, she didn't snarl at me like she normally would. She just drove and held my hand._

_When we had finally reached the hospital, Lauren slammed her breaks in front of the emergency room entrance, where a few nurses with wheelchairs sat. She jumped out of the car and opened my door._

The nurses were immediately by my side. They helped me out of the car and into the wheelchair. The rain continued to pelt down on me, and they moved quickly to get me inside.

_"Wait!" I cried, when I realized Lauren wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?"_

_She shook her head. "I'm going to the Cullen's to get Mrs. Cullen. You're going to need someone here with you."_

_"But you're here! Don't leave me here alone!" I said, tears streaming down my face._

_Lauren smiled at me. "I'll be right back."_

_I didn't have time to object. She was already back in her car, driving away into the raining night._

* * *

For a short moment, the curiosity of what had happened to her got the best of me, and I shot out the door. I grabbed my keys and got into my rusty old pick up truck. It felt funny to drive it after such a long time.

I drove as fast as I could, and had Aveline not been in the backseat, I would have driven faster.

The moment I pulled into the police station, I jumped out of the car, got Aveline, and ran inside. I was out of breath and wide eyed with fear when I reached the front desk.

"Ma'am, is everything alright?"

"Yes…" I gasped for air. "I…I mean… my name is Bella Swan, and they told me to come here as soon as possible….. it's regarding Lauren Mallory."

The officer adjusted the hat on his head and typed into his computer. "Right this way."

I walked down the long, silent hallway with Aveline in my arms and suddenly wondered if bringing her here was the right thing to do. This was a police station, and I had no idea what was about to go down in the investigation room. She started cooing to herself and I kissed her cheek.

He led us into a small room, and said that another officer would be with us soon before he closed the door. I took a seat in one of the small chairs and put my baby on my lap. I rubbed my hands up and down her arms to keep her warm.

A feeling of anticipation shot through my veins - as did adrenaline and fear. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what they were about to tell me; what they were about to show me. And the feeling of the unknown made me feel very uneasy.

There was a small knock on the door.

"Come in." I said softly and the door soon pushed open.

In walked a younger looking police officer with dark brown hair that looked flattened out underneath his navy blue hat. His skin was ruddy, and his cheeks were bright red. It looked like he had just been outside. He took the seat opposite from me and slammed down a bundle of manila folders on the table in front of us.

"Isabella… my name is Officer Daniels." He offered me a hand and I shook it. "How are you doing today?"

"Fine." I mumbled quickly.

He took a sip from his water. "Alright then. Well, I just have a few questions for you."

"Before you ask me anything, can you please tell me what's going on? Someone told me that you may have found her…."

Officer Daniels leaned forward and pushed his hands across the cold table top. "We had a group of volunteer rescue teams searching through the woods again last night. I don't know how it happened, or even who found her, but all of a sudden there was a loud commotion coming from somewhere. Everyone ran over, and we saw her laying on the ground covered in branches in leaves. It looked like the storm had blown some things over her… she was next to impossible to see."

"Who found her?" My voice was only just above a whisper.

"Never found that out. The person may have run off, or doesn't want to take all the credit." He shrugged and reached for the folder. "But since you were the last person with her, would you mind looking at the pictures of the body and identifying it?"

I nodded and took the folder as he slid it towards me. I positioned Aveline so she was looking over my shoulder and opened it up.

The first picture fell out and I immediately felt nauseous. Beneath the fallen trees, soggy mud, and wet leaves was the pale skin of a body. I stared in horror at the dried blood that trailed along her forehead and deepened in her head. Her blue eyes were wide open, and her hair stuck to her ghostly white face.

I flipped to the next picture, which was a picture of her hands. Behind the grime and dirt was the faint color of hot pink polish painted perfectly

There were pictures of all of her wounds… bash to the back of her head, the piercing spot, where a tree had impaled her… every scratch, every scar, every drop of blood.

There came a point where I couldn't look at the gruesome pictures anymore. I dropped them back on the table and pushed them back towards the officer, who took them from me. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.

"Can you identify the body as Lauren Mallory?"

"Yes." I said so softly it was barely audible to my own ears.

"I'm sorry you had to see those." He apologized as he put them away. "I do have a few other questions for you, if you don't mind my asking."

"Go ahead."

"We looked into Lauren's disappearance some more. We told the public that her car hydroplaned off of the road and into the forest. But what we kept from the public was that she didn't just slide off the road. Someone ran her off the road."

My heart stopped.

"You were the last person with her, and many witnesses say that you two had a bad relationship." He leaned forward. "Would you ever use that hatred to do something to her?"

"No!" I cried. "I was in the emergency room! She dropped me off! Check the records if you don't believe me!"

"Just because you checked into a hospital under your name doesn't mean that it was really you who was there."

"Are you accusing me of murder?" I gasped. "I would never do anything like that. I would never wish that upon anyone. I can't believe that you would actually try to pin this on me! I don't have the time or desire to kill her… or anyone!"

"But you have time to take care of a baby."

I stared at him in complete outrage before I stood up and stormed out of the room. I held Aveline close to my chest and fought tears as I raced down the hallway. As I was walking, I bumped into another officer who was walking down the hallway.

"I'm so - wait, Bella?"

My dad was staring right at me. I looked at him with teary eyes and fell into his arms. He was stiff at first - probably confused as to why I was here and why I was in tears - but he eventually wrapped his arms around me too, and pulled me into a fatherly hug.

His warm embrace reassured me but didn't stop the tears. I gasped for air and held onto my dad as tightly as I could with Aveline in my arms.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked after a long while.

"No." I choked out and wiped my eyes. "They found Lauren… and some officer tried to accuse me of… killing her." I burst into tears again.

"That was probably Officer Daniels. Don't mind him, he doesn't know what he's doing." He kissed the top of my head. "Why don't we get you home?"

"I'm just going to call Edward…" I pulled away and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "I don't think I'll be able to drive this like…"

My dad took Aveline from my while I pulled out my phone and called Edward. It rang for a while, but he finally picked up on the fourth ring. I was in absolute tears when I heard his voice and begged for him to come and pick me up from the police station. He, just like my father, seemed confused and worried, but said that he'd be there as fast as he could.

I wandered into the waiting area, and my dad followed close behind me. I gave Aveline to me and came back five minutes later with two cups of hot coffee. I balanced my baby in my arms and took a sip of the refreshing drink. It opened up my senses and relaxed me.

"Thank you daddy." I whispered and leaned my head on his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too, Bells."

It had only been another ten minutes when Edward rushed through the doors. My dad took Aveline from me and I ran up to him and into Edward's arms.

"What happened?" He murmured into my ear as he held me.

I fought back tears as I explained what had happened. I felt his grasp on my arm get tighter and tighter as his anger built. I love Edward to death but he has a terrible temper.

Just then a group of cops all started for the door, laughing and talking together, all out of uniform. It looked like their shift was over and they were all heading home for the night.

"Which one was it?" He asked between clenched teeth.

"Edward, please don't - "

"Which one?"

I sighed and pointed to Officer Daniels. He was standing in the middle of the group. All eyes were on him as he made another stupid joke about the ticket he had to give today/

Edward let go of my arm and stormed right up to him. I covered my ears with my hands. I was afraid to listen. I was terrified to watch.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Accusing my girlfriend of trying to kill someone when she was obviously in the emergency room in labor."

"I have the right to ask her anything I want. I can also make any assumption I want. Unlike you - you have no right to talk to an officer like that."

"The difference is that I'm not being a jack ass about it. You are."

Everything happened in slow motion.

I walked forward to intervene - Edward didn't need to be involved in something like this. At that very same moment, Officer Daniels stepped forward and swung his fist at Edward. He missed and his knuckles punched straight into my jaw. I gasped and stumbled backwards as a rusty taste filled my mouth.

Edward's head shot up and he glared t the very surprised looking Officer Daniels. He lunged for him. They were soon both throwing punches and going at each other like two vicious dogs in a cage.

Aveline started crying and I was screaming at Edward to stop.

My dad handed Aveline to me and ran over to Edward. He grabbed both of his arms and yanked him away from Daniels, whose friends were holding him back as well.

"Edward! Let it go! Knock it off!" My dad yelled at him.

"Come on, man." Everyone said to Daniels. "He's not worth it. Let's get out of here."

They all stumbled out of the door leaving the four of us alone in the waiting room. I brushed my tongue over my bloody teeth and looked over at Edward. Blood trickled down his lips and onto his chin.

My dad said something into his ear before he let him go and pushed him forward.

"Edward Cullen." I breathed.

"Bella… your mouth… are you okay? I'm so sorry." He looked at me with big green eyes.

I shook my head. "Forget about my mouth and let's talk about that little stunt you just pulled. What was that? I've never seen you act like that before!"

"He punched you - "

"But if wasn't meant for me."

"It doesn't matter! Intentional or not, he put his hands on you, and I swear to God that if anyone ever puts there hands on you like that, I will go after them… and I did."

That was Edward alright. Overprotective and impulsive, especially when it came to me. I knew that he had the right intentions, and I know that he did it all out of love, but it still doesn't make it any better. If Daniels decided to press charges against that little fight, we would both be screwed.

I gave him a small half smile. "Let's just get home."

Edward didn't say anything. He just reached for my hand. I gave his it a gentle squeeze before we stepped out of the police station together.

* * *

**I TOLD YOU THIS CHAPTER WOULD BE CRAZY.**

**And long….**

**I actually wasn't planning on that fight happening. It just kind of happened. My brain came up with the idea and my fingers just wrote it… not really my fault… ha. ANYWAY - we found out about Lauren (finally)! More craziness coming soon. I love you all. **

**Xoxo check out please my Halloween story Xoxo,**

**Halley.**


	11. Old Times, New Times

**There's a new Taylor Swift album that comes out to tomorrow and I'm so excited. So excited that I can hardly write! I hope you guys like this chapter (even though it will probably be short), and thanks for all the response on the last! (:**

* * *

_BPOV  
_

"Ladies and gentleman, I welcome you to the - " I stopped in mid-sentence to clear my throat and revisit what I had just said. Ladies and gentlemen? That was so cheesy. I ripped the paper from my notebook and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and missed the trashcan by five feet.

Writing a graduation speech is harder than it looks.

It can't be too serious or everyone gets bored, but it can't be too funny or people will be too busy laughing. Corny speeches are okay, but I don't want to make myself look over sensitive, and I definitely do not want to make the mom's cry more than they have to.

I stared at the lined paper in front of me with blank eyes. I had nothing; absolutely nothing.

There was a knock on the door. I sat criss crossed on the bed with my hands in between my legs. "Come in."

Edward walked through the door. He was holding a steaming hot cup of tea, or maybe coffee, and wore a smile on his perfect face. I smiled back at him as best I could and made room for him on the bed next to you.

He kissed me cheek and handed me the cup. "For you."

"You're too sweet." I told him as I took a sip. My lips felt cold against the hot rim.

"So, how's the speech coming along?"

I frowned. "I have nothing."

"Here, let me try and help you." He positioned himself on the bed so that he was kneeling in front of me. He took both of my hands and put them over each other, then put his atop of mine. His thumb brushed softly against my own fingers as he spoke. "Now close your eyes and just imagine yourself giving the speech."

I bit my lip and gave him a funny look.

"Come on, just try it."

I shook my head, a smiling playing on my lips, and closed my eyes. I could feel him in front of me. His presence was distracting me. All I could think about was his body so close to mine and the possibility of his lips against my own.

I tried harder to concentrate.

I pictured myself walking up on stage to give me Valedictorian speech. I saw all of the people in the audience; the mountain of people I did not know. The bright lights, our principal, the microphone… but I was at a loss for words. I stood there not saying anything.

"This isn't working." I admitted and opened my eyes.

"Sorry, love." He kissed my cheek again. "It'll come to you, I promise."

"Writer's block sucks." I complained and fell into his chest. He chuckled and ran his hand up and down my back softly.

"Maybe you should try and suggest yourself." Edward suggested. "Alice and Rosalie are downstairs. I'll take care of Aveline."

I looked up at him. "Really?"

"Really."

"I love you." I said and kissed him before I put all of my notebooks away and went downstairs to hang with Alice and Rosalie. It had been what seemed like ages since the three of us had down something together. Sure I'd seen then, and we'd talked plenty of times, but hanging out has been something we hadn't done in a while.

The two of them were sitting on the couch. The television was playing, but they were just talking, and ignoring what was on the screen entirely.

I awkwardly stood in front of the couch and smiled at them. "Hey, guys."

Rosalie looked at with her smoky blue eyes. "Bella! Hey. Long time no see."

I walked over and took a seat in between the two of them on the couch. Alice scooted over to make room for me and rested her head against my shoulder. I looked down at her and rolled my eyes. She always uses other people as pillows.

"I know." I agreed with Rosalie. "What have you been up to lately?"

She let out a long deep breath and started talking about how crazy things have been. Her and Emmett are packing up everything in the house, she's trying to say goodbye to her friends at work, and how insane the whole moving process is. I chest got tight as I listened to her talk. It was starting to sink in that one of my best friends would be leaving me. Then I thought of Alice, and how I'd be leaving her for Seattle.

We were all at that point in our lives.

The time when massive change sweeps by and everyone finds themselves face to face with the most complicated thing in life: reality.

"Rose… please don't leave."

She stopped in mid-sentence and looked at me with just about the most heartbroken look on her face. "I don't want to leave you or anyone behind. But I've got to do this. It's an amazing opportunity."

"I know, I want you to do this, I just don't know what it's going to be like without you." I told her.

"It's going to be _weird_." Alice chimed in. She sat up straight and joined into our conversation.

"Well, you guys can visit sometime over the summer. Chicago is an amazing city."

I let out a shaky laugh and threw my arms around my best friend. Her long, blonde hair covered my face, and I couldn't see past it, but I didn't care. This was my best friend, my big sister, and in a few days she would be gone.

Alice's little arms were soon around me too, and there we sat, hugging each other on the couch just like friend's should. Because every once in a while, you just need a cup of tea and someone to talk to.

"Okay, enough of all of this serious stuff." Alice said. "There's an entire season of Pretty Little Liars waiting to be re-watched. You in?"

I smiled just like old times. "Let's get our A-game on."

* * *

Spending the day with Alice and Rosalie really helped clear my mind. I got the chance to think of nothing but what I was doing at that very moment. I didn't dwell on all the bad that was happening and the sadness that was to come.

We watched some shows, and some movies too, but for the most part, we all sprawled out on the couch with food, pillows, and blankets and talked.

We talked about all the good things, all the bad things, all the things we weren't sure about. Doing things like this gave me a sense of normality. It's rare that I get to talk to people other than Edward about this, because they all judge me and don't talk to me.

That's why days like today are always special.

It was nearing ten at night when I finally made my way back upstairs. The light in our room was on, so I smiled as I opened the door. Edward was sitting on the bed with Aveline in his arms. She was asleep and he was staring down at her beautiful face.

"Hey." I whispered and tiptoed over to him.

"Hey there." He looked up at me.

I sat next to him and looked down at Aveline. She looked so peaceful in her sleep.

"What did you guys do all day?"

Edward told me that he went on a seven mile run with the old jogging stroller in the garage. Then they came home and ate lunch and sat around upstairs together all day. That made me smile. I loved when he spent time with her like that. It was adorable.

"What about you?" He asked.

"We just sat around and talked all day… you know, girly stuff." I said.

He stood up and put Aveline in her crib. Once she was in bed, he came back over to me and pulled me into his arms. I closed my eyes and rested my head against his shoulder. I hadn't done much today, but I still felt tired and fatigued.

I had even fallen asleep on the couch. We were watching _Easy A_, and I was trying my best to stay up. I remember closing my eyes and waking up later to the very end of the movie.

His lips brushed softly against my neck.

"Are you okay?"

"'Course." I mumbled. "I just want to get into bed."

"Well then let's do that."

The both of us got ready for bed pretty quickly. I pulled on a big t-shirt, brushed through my hair, and brushed my teeth before I got under the thick, warm covers. My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier by the second, and I couldn't wait for the lights to shut off so I could drift off.

I didn't even notice Edward when he got into bed next to me. All I knew was that suddenly there was a shift in the deepness of the mattress and I felt a pair of hands on my waist and the lights went out.

It was dark, and I was comfortable and warm.

Sleep came easily now. So easy that I didn't even have time to say goodnight to Edward before I was out.

My dream was vivid - so realistic that I was certain it had been real life.

I was wearing a dress with a black top and a flowing nude skirt. My heels clicked against the hardwood floor as I slowly walked up the long staircase and into the bright lights. People were clapping and cheering all for me, and the applause only increased as I walked towards the microphone. I pursed my lips and opened my mouth.

"High school is a funny thing."

I woke up a jolt.

I had been expecting to wake up in front of that crowd of people; expected to wake up with the most perfect words coming from my mouth; the applause to be there; the microphone to be inches from my lips.

I wiped my mouth the back of my hand and sat up in bed.

The dream had seemed so familiar… like something I had thought about before, or seen in another dream. As I sat there thinking about it, another idea crept into my mind.

I yanked the blankets off of my legs and turned the bedside lamp on. Edward rolled over in bed and groaned loudly, but I ignored him. I didn't have time for interruptions. I needed to write this now.

The yellow notebook from earlier today was lying on the ground where I left it. I picked it up and flipped open to the first blank page I could find. I scribbled my pen in the margin of the lined paper before I started writing.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked in a groggy voice.

"Shh." I hushed him.

He fell back against the bed and buried a pillow into his face as I continued to write. The words were flowing out of me now. I didn't even need to think about what to say. It just came out exactly like I had planned it.

I wrote until my hand was aching and there were four pages of my messy handwriting scrawled onto the crumpled up paper.

"Are you done?" Edward asked me just as I was finishing up.

"Yes." I stood up, holding the notebook to my chest. "Finally."

"What was all that about? You were acting like there was some kind of top secret catastrophe."

I merely smiled and handed him the notebook. "_This _is what was happening."

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**Sorry, really short chapter! I knew that I needed to write this chapter even though it was boring. And I didn't edit... Next chapter will be interesting… there's also been some foreshadowing in the past few chapters for something later on! Hope that you liked it, even though it was short and uneventful. :/**

**Love, love, love,  
****Halley.**

**P.S. Read my Halloween story! **


	12. My Best Four Years

**Okay. Guys, I'm so sorry. I feel so bad right now. I didn't last week. Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD. **

**There are the reasons I did not update:**

**1.… the new Taylor Swift album is so perfect. If you're not a swift fan, then you can skip this small little rant of mine and go onto the story… but oh my god. It's so amazing. My favorites are All Too Well, Sad Beautiful Tragic, State of Grace, Starlight, and 22. I'm still FREAKING OUT. I COULDN'T WRITE.**

**2.…. I thought I was going to the movies on Saturday with this guy so I didn't write. But then we rescheduled for Sunday and it was too late for me to update. I was dead on Monday, and on Tuesday and I was just so exhausted and I had to straighten my hair for Halloween and that took like an hour.**

**3.… I wasn't home on Thursday because I was with my team. Then I left for state cross country competition on Friday (we're tenth in the state!), and I was almost passed out after the race and my mom wanted to take me to the ER… so I didn't write on Saturday either.**

**Anyway, thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter. I love you all so much. I think that we can hit two hundred this chapter… maybe, possibly, hopefully? If you love me? Even though I updated late? **

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_BPOV  
_

Aveline was lying on the floor with her fingers in her mouth, rolling around on her back. It was seven in the morning on Saturday, and she had woken the both of us up. Not by crying - instead, she sat in her bed and kicked her legs, babbling to herself and laughing nothing until I came and too her out of her crib.

I sat on the bed, holding my cup of tea, and watching her.

Edward left to go on his run about half of hour ago, which gave me another thirty minutes until he would be back. I still don't see how someone can go out and run for that long. My legs would burn and fall off by mile four. Yet still, I secretly wished that I could run like that. I probably do need to get out and there and run one of these days. I still have a little bit of baby fat from when I was pregnant with Aveline… still!

I rested my cup on the bedside table and joined Aveline on the floor.

"Hi, Aveline." I said to her. She stopped rolling around and looked at me with her finger in her mouth and smiled. I smiled back and tickled her tummy very lightly. She squealed.

I kissed her on the forehead and picked her up. She looked at me with wide green eyes and didn't look away. I shook my head and carried her downstairs for some breakfast. I fed her milk for probably one of the last times - she has a doctor's appointment coming up, and I'm almost positive they're going to tell me to start feeding her solid foods.

It's crazy how fast six months will fly by.

Then again, it's also crazy how fast four years will fly by! Today is the day that we have all been waiting for; graduation day. I still can't believe that this is it. After today, it will all be over, and we'll be head-to-head with one of the scariest things in life: college.

It's also the day that Emmett and Rosalie leave, which is part of the reason why we're having the party after graduation… to say goodbye to the people we all love, and hello to the life that lies ahead of us.

Suddenly Alice stumbled into the kitchen with crazy hair wearing a fluffy, hot pink robe. She yawned and immediately poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Morning." She grumbled and took a seat next to me.

"Someone looks happy to be up."

"Oh my god, shut up." She cried and chugged down half of her coffee even though it was steaming hot. "I have no choice but to be up this early."

"And why is that?" I asked as I burped Aveline.

"Because I'm going over to Hailey's house to get ready for graduation with them, and some of them don't even have a dress yet!" She rolled her eyes. "So we're hitting Port Angeles as soon as it opens, and I have a hair appointment, and I have to get my hair done…"

"Oh no. You have to get your nails done. How will you go on?"

She shot me a death glare and I knew that it was time for me to shut up.

The only good thing about Alice being gone and getting ready with other people is that I don't have to endure hours of her playing dress up on me. Sure it's nice to look like a supermodel every once in a while, but sometimes I just want to look like myself. Today is one of those times.

After drinking four cups of coffee, Alice's perkiness looked like it was finally coming back to her. She then ran upstairs to get dressed and left the house. It was just Aveline and I now, since Esme had left to get stuff for the party, Carlisle was at work, and Edward was still on his run.

But I didn't really mind. It was nice for it to just be the two of us sometimes.

While I waited for Edward to get back, I turned on the television and watched avoided the news. The town was still reporting on the finding of Lauren's body and I couldn't handle it. I didn't even like thinking about it. It brought back too many painful, vivid memories.

I settled for some old sitcom from the 90's and pretended to watch it while Aveline attempted to crawl around the floor. She dragged herself along the carpet instead and played with her toys, which were scattered all over.

The front door soon flung open, and Edward walked in, out of breath with windswept hair. His cheeks were bright red and his fingers were curled over the cuffs of his long sleeved shirt.

"How was the run?" I asked.

He poured himself a huge glass of water and drank it in one swift chug. "It was good. I did eight miles."

"You say that like it's no big deal." I frowned.

Edward laughed and walked into the living room. He kicked his running shoes off, pulled his socks off, and joined me on the couch. He skin was wet with sweat, but I didn't care. I leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Mhm. Just nervous about…" I took a moment, "everything."

"Well, I am too. A lot is going on right now." He admitted. "Today is graduation day, after all."

But it wasn't just graduation that I was freaking out over. I'm nervous about the apartment in Seattle, my mom being released from prison, Rosalie leaving today, moving away from my family, money… it's a waterfall of emotions.

I just looked at Edward and nodded in agreement.

The rest of the day consisted of me trying my best to keep my mind off of the chaos. I lounged around on the couch with Edward for the rest of the morning and played with Aveline. When Esme got home, I helped her clean up the house for the party, and even set up some decorations. I would have done homework, but I have none. I would have studied for a test, but for once there's nothing to study for. I really had no other choice than to start getting for graduation.

I scattered all of my makeup out on the counter in front of me and stared in the mirror. My skin was pale, my lips were small, and my hair was an absolute mess. I sighed and pulled my hair back into a messy bun. It was going to take a lot of work to fix this up.

I plugged my straightened in and while I waited for it to heat up, started with the foundation on my face.

"Need some help?" Someone asked out of no where, making me jump.

"Jesus Christ, Edward. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

He chuckled and closed the bedroom door behind him, then walked over to me and put his hands on my waist. I held the straighter in my hands and rested my head against his chest while we slowly swayed back and forth.

"You should be with the baby." I whispered.

"My mom is with her obsession over her crawling."

I simply nodded my head then turned to him and handed him the flat iron. "You can straighten my hair."

"Yes ma'am."

I stood as still as possible while he grabbed a strand of my hair and ran the scorching plate over it. The smell of burning hair instantly filled the room, and I crinkled my nose. I had always hated that scent.

"Am I doing this right?" Edward asked hesitantly.

"Of course." I reassured him. "You're doing just fine."

He didn't answer. He just grabbed another piece of my hair and straightened it. I watched him from the reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but smile at how focused he looked.

While he did my hair, I finished up on my makeup, which wasn't much. I evened out the color of my skin, swiped on some nude colored lipstick, and went for a dramatic look with my eyes - winged, liquid eyeliner.

I stared at myself in the mirror and smiled. It wasn't anything like Alice would have done, but I really liked it. It looked more me. Edward finished on the last strand of hair a little after my makeup was done and he smiled.

"You look beautiful." He complimented me.

I met his eyes in the mirror. "Well, thank you."

"I'll go and get Aveline ready while you finished getting ready." He kissed me on the cheek. "Don't take too long, love."

He walked out of the room. Once he had, I picked up the flat iron and reran in through my hair. Not that Edward had done a bad job, but I could see a few frizzy strands. After I touched up on that, I dropped my robe to the ground, and went to the closet where my dress was hanging. I carefully slid it off of its hanger and stepped into it. I had a little trouble with the zipper, but eventually managed to get it up.

While I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized that these were my last few moments as a high schooler. After today, I'll no longer be able to tell people that I'm a senior in high school - now it will be a freshman in college. (Back to the end of the totem pole).

It's bittersweet to think about. High school has been hell for me, but it has also been the best four years of my life. I'll admit that it's going to be really hard leaving this place, but I also think that it's time to move on.

There was a small knock on the door and Edward popped his head through the door. "You ready to go?"

I took one last look in the mirror. "I'm ready."

Because I'm the valedictorian, I have to get to the ceremony a little earlier than the rest of the graduating class. When the three of us walked into the gym, chairs were still being set up, balloons were being hung, microphones were being tested - it was a mass chaos.

I walked around the crazy mass of people trying to find someone who could tell me what I was supposed to be doing. It wasn't until I ran into Ms. Holland, who looked just as stressed and busy as everyone else

"Oh, Bella, you're here! We've been looking all over for you." She exclaimed as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Head backstage to get your gown on, and they'll adjust your microphone for the speech."

She ran off before I got a chance to say anything else.

I turned to Edward, who was trailing behind me with Aveline, who looked adorable in her little dress and stockings, in his arms. "Hey, I need to go get ready for the speech. I'll come out as soon as I can, okay?"

He gave me a quick kiss. "Alright, I'll see you soon."

I smiled at him before I hurried to the curtained off area. It sucks that our graduation ceremony is in the gym, but with Forks being such a small town, it really doesn't surprise me.

Once I was backstage, a lady helped me into the gown I had left at the school while some guy brought a microphone stand over to me and adjusted it to my height. The lights were blinding, and the heat from them was making me sweat. It made me feel very intimidated, even though there was no one in the audience.

"Say something into the microphone." The guy told me.

"Um… testing, one, two, three?"

He nodded and gave me a thumbs up before he walked off of the stage.

People soon started arriving, and I snuck my way into the crowd. Families were hugging, friends were taking pictures, and teachers were saying their final goodbyes to their favorites students. It was a happy moment. When I finally met back up with Edward, I gave him a kiss and grabbed onto his arm.

"Where's Aveline?"

"With my family." He pointed to an aisle seat. Esme waved to me and tried to get Aveline to look at us. I smiled and waved back.

"I can't believe this is it. This is graduation day!" I said to him. "After this, we're on to bigger and better things - college, house, new city…."

Edward put his finger to my lips and smiled my favorite crooked smile. "Remember, baby steps."

There was then an announcement for all of the students to make their way to their designated seats. I looked at Edward one last time and gave him a hug. We hugged for what seemed like forever, and when we finally parted ways, our fingers wrapped around each other's until the very last moment.

I took my seat with the other "S's" and waited for the ceremony to begin.

It took a while, but soon everyone was settled in, and Ms. Holland made her way to the stage. She adjusted her microphone and met the eyes of everyone in the audience before she spoke.

She thanked everyone for coming and gave words of wisdom to all of the graduates, then brought the salutatorian on stage so he could give his speech. While he spoke, I kept reciting my own speech to myself in my head. My hands shook, and I wondered if it was good enough. Edward was the only one who had read it, and even then it was only a draft at that point.

I reminded myself to take a deep breath and tried to distract myself with the cheesy salutatorian speech.

Ms. Holland then started calling out everyone's names. I smiled and clapped loudly when she called the names of some of my friends - Angela, Ben, and Mike - and even cheered a little bit when they called Edward's name. He shook the principal's hand, took his diploma, and smiled at his dad (who was standing with a crowd of other parents at the edge of the stage) for a picture.

When they finally called my name, I picked up the edge of my gown, adjusted my hat, and walked on stage. Ms. Holland gave me a sweet smile, one that told me she was going to miss me a lot, and handed me my diploma.

"Thank you." I whispered as we shook hands.

She simply nodded, and I walked to the end of the stage and smile for my own dad so he could take a picture. Once the flash went off, I gave him a thumbs up and made my way back to seat.

My raging nerves made the rest of the ceremony fly by, and before I knew it, it was time for me to head up onto the stage and speak in front of my classmates for the last time.

The hands of hundreds of parents, teachers, friends, and family clapped in the audience as I held up the bottom of my long, black gown - the heels that Alice had made me wear clicking on the hardwood floor - and walked towards the podium.

I stared out into the sea of people, my body shaking with nervousness. This is the moment I've waited my entire life; the moment I've literally dreamed about for years. The moment I've fought for.

I stood behind it, my lips inches away from the microphone. I opened my mouth to speak.

"Do you remember that first day of freshman you? I do. Do you remember getting lost? Feeling inferior to the seniors? Thinking that you were destined to eat lunch in a bathroom stall for forever? You probably went home that night crying to your mom because you were so afraid." A low chuckle humored the audience. "We were young and naïve.

"And in a way, we still are young and naïve. We're leaving the best four years of our lives, and entering something entirely new: college. But this time, we won't have our mom waiting for us to tell us that everything will be okay when we come home nervous after that first day. After today, we're on our own.

"That's why high School is such a funny thing. We do our best to say and do the right thing at the right thing. We make one mistake, and suddenly it's the end of the world. But I've been thinking lately, and I've decided that it's better to make mistakes while you're young and carefree than in the real world after high school.

"So let's make mistakes. Let's enjoy being fearless. Let's live our life to the fullest. Because even though there is a time for staying back, there's also a time for stepping forward. I don't think we should wait. I think we should live our lives, because we are the class of 2013!"

There was a roar of applause and cheering from the crowd. I couldn't help but laugh as everyone pulled one another into an tight embrace and threw their caps into the air. My eye's met Edward's and I saw that he was smiling too. I shook my head and grabbed the cap off of my head and threw it up, watching as it fell back towards me in slow motion.

That was it. I had done it.

Four years of busting my butt off, four years of lockers, four years of cliques, and four years of holding my head up high was finally over. I was officially a high school graduate.

The second I walked off stage, I was bombarded by a crowd of hugs. My dad hugged me first and when he told me how proud he was, I was sure that there were tears in his eyes. A group of my friends screamed and we all joined a huge group hug. Edward's parents were next, then Edward himself. We hugged, and then kissed.

"Alright kiddos," my dad said, "it's time for some pictures. Why don't we head on outside?"

I took Aveline from Esme and smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

We all followed my dad outside and stood in front of a hazelnut tree. We took some pictures as a family; me holding Aveline with Edward's arm tight around my waist. Then some of just me, some of just Edward, then some of just the two of us.

And in that moment, I knew that this was only the beginning of something magical.

_One day we will be remembered._

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**They graduated! I hope that you liked that chapter. It was one of those chapters I've been waiting to write for a very long time - since PTRATTS, actually! Again, I am so sorry for not updating. I'll try my best to write another chapter today but I have loads of homework. **

**I hope that all of you affected by the hurricane are okay. **

**I love you guys so much. (:**

**Love, love, love,**

**Halley.**

**P.S. If you got the new Taylor album, what are your favorite songs?!**


	13. Double Meaning

**Okay, so can you believe that the next time I update, Breaking Dawn will be out?! Oh my god. I'm crying. I'm going to the midnight showing and I am freaking out already. Anyway, thanks for all of the reviews last chapter! I liked having conversations about the Red with you guys. That was so much fun! ****This chapter will be pretty cool. A character who nobody likes makes an appearance. **

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BPOV

The transition from graduation to the after party went smoothly. Everyone simply piled up into our cars and drove to the Cullen mansion for food, music, and friends. It wasn't too big of a get together; just the Cullen's, myself, and my dad for the most part.

A line of cars pulled into the driveway, and we all got out of our cars. Esme and Alice ran into the house to put together the last minute arrangements while we all talked outside to give them some time.

My dad came up to me and smiled. "I'm really proud of you, Bells."

That meant a lot, especially after everything that we have been through. I nodded my head and smiled at him too. "Thanks, dad."

I got the feeling that he wanted to hug me, but didn't. My dad usually shied away when it came to expressing sentimental emotions. Getting a hug from him was rare. Rare, but meaningful.

"Okay, guys!" Alice called from the doorway. "You can come inside now!"

A few of us cheered (and by a few of us, I mean Emmett), and we all trampled our way inside. Music was blasting from the stereo and food was all over the kitchen counters. Balloons and streamers hung from the staircase railing, and a huge "congratulations" banner was plastered on the wall.

It was an overwhelming amount of decorations.

When Alice was out of sight, I pulled my shoes off of my feet, and hid them behind the coat rack. That's when I suddenly felt a pair of hands on my waist. I gasped and turned around, only to be face-to-face with Edward.

He grinned and took a hold of my hands.

"What are you doing?!" I asked him as he dragged me down the hallway. I had to yell to get my voice over the loud music.

"Dancing!" He yelled back, and started dancing with me in the middle of the living room. I laughed as he twirled me around in a circle, and even though I was a terrible dancer, I danced with him.

I honestly didn't even think that Edward could dance to a song as quirky and upbeat as this one was, but he could! That made me smile even more. Our hands were intertwined as one and we moved so perfectly together that I had a hard time believing it was actually us.

I found myself singing the lyrics to him, and he sang them right back. He spun me around again, again, until I was dizzy. Even then we didn't stop. We danced and danced, and for once it was okay, because as long as I was dancing with him, things were alright.

"That was fun." I admitted breathlessly when the song was finished.

"Indeed." He said, grinning again.

"Wait, where's Aveline?!" I asked in a panic.

Edward chuckled. "With my mom. I thought that the loud music would bother her, but she's doing just fine. I guess she likes loud things."

I grabbed his hands again and smiled. "Guess so!"

Another song came on, and we started dancing again. This time, the rest of the Cullen's joined into the little dance floor we had created. I danced with everyone to different songs, but Edward the most. Especially on the slower songs. I don't know what came over me. I'm always the one who sits on the couch and watches as everyone embarrasses themselves, but tonight I was the life of the party.

After a good hour or so of dancing, I left the so-called "dance floor" and went into the kitchen to get something to eat. All of that dancing gave me a raging appetite. I grabbed a slice of pizza and poured myself a huge glass of water. Pizza had never tasted so good before.

Carlisle, Esme, and my dad were all sitting around the table talking. Esme was holding Aveline, who was staring up at the ceiling with big green eyes. When she saw me, her little mouth fell open and she squealed.

I put my food down and went over to her. "Hi, baby."

She smiled a toothless smile. I laughed and took her from Esme. She nestled her head into my shoulder and pulled on a strand of my hair.

"I was just about to come and get you," Esme said. "She needs a diaper change, but I couldn't find the diaper bag anywhere."

"Oh! It's in the car. I'll go get it."

"Here, let me take the baby. I don't want you to drop anything."

She took Aveline from me, and after I grabbed the car key from my purse, I ran outside. The air was cold for it being the end of May. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms and hurried to the car. I've never liked being outside at night.

I unlocked the car and opened the door to the front seat. I leaned in and reached into the back to grab the diaper bag, which sat on the floor. I picked it up, then as I was turning to get out of the car, saw someone standing there.

"Miss Swan."

"Jesus Christ." I whispered and put my hand to my erratic heart. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there…"

He stepped closer to me and I could make out his face better. Messy brown hair, ruddy cheeks, young face, and a golden badge on his chest. It was Officer Daniels.

"Scared you, didn't I?" He winked at me.

I realized that I had been practically laying in the car seat. I shook my head and sat up straight. "Yeah…" I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Well, is there something I could help you with?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Swan said that he was coming to a graduation party at the Cullen's, and I figured I'd come by." He leaned in closer to me. "You know, just to make sure that that boy of yours isn't throwing anymore punches."

Chills shot up my spine as I thought back to that night.

"Well, I really don't think that there's going to be a problem. So, if you'll excuse me - " I tried to get out of the car, but Daniels pushed me back down into my seat.

Oh, _shit_.

"Would you like to go for dinner? Maybe a bar?"

I froze and looked at him like he was insane. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I think that you are fully aware that I have a boyfriend." I spat. "And also that I'm not even old enough to go to a bar. I'm not twenty-one."

"Come on, baby, I won't tell anyone."

"Don't call me that. I'm not going anywhere with you."

Daniels leaned forward. His face was inches away from mine; his eyes were narrowed right at me, and the faint smell of alcohol lingered in his breath. Adrenaline pumped through my body, but I couldn't find enough of it to act. Fear iced my veins.

"Listen here, _bitch_." He spat at me between gritted teeth. I tried to look away, but he grabbed my face and forced me to look at him. "I'm a cop and your boyfriend assaulted me. So unless you want me to press charges, you'll do whatever the hell I want you to do."

"I won't be here for long." I whispered. "In a few months, I won't be in Forks anymore."

"Then that means I'll just have to take advantage of this while you're still here. And I could find you so easily if I wanted to. I know everything about you. Live with your dad, poor mommy's in prison… well, not anymore." He snickered.

I was crying now.

"But maybe if your good then I'll leave you alone once your gone."

"You're drunk." I told him. "You don't mean anything that you're saying. Please, just go home. We can pretend like this never happened and I won't tell - "

"Of course you won't tell. Your boyfriend's future depends on it."

"My dad's a cop." I reminded him.

"So am I."

He tried to kiss me. I leaned back as he leaned in. His lips were close to mine, surely close enough to touch. It was only a matter of antagonizing seconds before they did. His lips didn't feel right. They tasted wrong. They were cold. They were rough. I put my hands on his chest and tried to push him off. When that didn't work, I bit his lip until I could taste blood on my own.

He yelped and jumped back. I scrambled out of the car and ran towards the front door with the diaper bag slung across my shoulder.

"You wanna explain what just happened there?!" He yelled.

I stopped in the doorway then turned to face him. "Yeah. Sexual assault. And blackmail."

Daniels didn't say another word. He stormed off to his car. I looked at him in disgust before I went back in the house. Everyone as acting as though nothing had happened. Because to them, nothing had.

I put on my best happy face then went to get Aveline.

After thanking Esme for keeping her, I ran upstairs. I locked the door behind me and put Aveline and the diaper bag on the bed. I took slow deep breaths and tried to comprehend exactly what had just happened.

First off, Daniels proved to be a bigger asshole than he already was. Not only had he attacked me, but he was blackmailing me not to tell. If I did, Edward would be ruined. He wanted something from me. And while I had a good idea what that thing was, I was afraid to admit it.

He also knows about my mom, which worries me. She's out there somewhere, and the more people who know about her, the more attention it draws. Attention is the last thing I want.

Aveline started crying, snapping me out of my train of thought.

"Oh, baby… I'm so sorry…" I ran over to her and picked her up. She cried in my arms, and I quickly changed her diaper and put her in some pajamas. It was getting late, even more me, and I knew that it was well past her bed time.

I put her down in her crib and kissed her on the forehead. "Night baby."

She reached to touch my face. I held her hand there for a second and smiled for a moment longer before I left to go back downstairs.

Everyone seemed to have calm down a little. The music wasn't blasting as loud, and the whole group was huddled around the kitchen countertops eating food. Emmett was hogging the entire bowl of chips to himself, while Alice and Rosalie shared pizza.

I stood next to Edward. He put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him.

"Aveline's in bed." I said.

Rosalie's face fell. "Will I not get to see her before we head out?"

"We can wake up her up so you can say goodbye." I reassured her.

She smiled and came over to give me a big hug. "God. I'm going to miss you guys so much."

I hugged her back. "I'm going to miss you too."

When we both pulled back, she wiped her eyes with her thumbs and sniffled. This is it. This is actually it. After today, Rosalie will be gone. My best friend, my sister, my supporter. The reality of it all suddenly sunk in, and I burst into tears.

"Oh, Bella…" Rosalie sniffled and pulled me into her arms again. I could feel tears falling down her cheeks and onto my shoulder. That only made me cry harder. My emotional outburst made everyone else cry to, and soon the entire house was in tears.

"Stay strong." She whispered in my ear. "You've done so much with your life, and I know that you can do even more. Don't give up. Even when things get hard, never give up."

I pulled away and looked into her blue eyes for the last time in a long while.

I said goodbye to Emmett, too. He gave me one of his famous bear hugs, and while I always claimed to hate them, I'm really going to miss them now that their gone.

Edward and I took the two of them upstairs so that they could say bye to Aveline. She was awake when we walked in, and smiled as the four of us neared the crib. Rosalie picked her up and held her niece to her chest. Emmett stood by her side and looked down at Aveline.

They'll be good parents someday.

After a last five minutes with the baby, Rose put Aveline back in her crib, and we all went out to their car to say goodbye. Esme was bawling, and refusing to leave her sons side. Alice was crying. Carlisle and Edward were tearing up.

They all hugged everyone one last time before getting into the car. Rosalie rolled down the window and waved to us. "I love you, and I'll see you soon!" Were the last words I heard before they disappeared into the darkness.

And that was that. They were gone.

I looked up at Edward, who smiled at me and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"I love you…" My voice cracked as I said this, and I fell into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I gripped onto him as tightly as I possibly could - because I was upset, because I was scared, and because of things that he would never know.

* * *

**And… end chapter. That wasn't as long as I had hoped for. It was seven pages on word! But thank you for reading. And for those of you reading my Halloween story… the chapter is coming soon, I swear!**

**For more updates on my writing and me, follow me on twitter halleybrown13.  
****Thanks! I love you , love, love…  
Halley. **


	14. Coming Clean

**This is late, I know. Part of me kind of thinks that it worked out, though. Because now I can write while I wait for food, and you guys can read while you wait! It kind of works out. This chapter is going to be kind of short, but… heartfelt, I suppose you could say. Enjoy. (:**

**And I just realized that I have a friend whose last name is Daniels. I DIDN'T EVEN DO THAT ON PURPOSE. Oh my gosh, I feel bad now… how did I not think of that?!**

* * *

_BPOV_

It's been a week since graduation and the incident with the cop. It haunted me. I would be standing there having a conversation with Edward and the thought would creep into my mind. When I tried to sleep at night, it's all I thought about. When I played with Aveline, watched television, went on the computer…

I had to get it off of my chest. I just had to tell him.

I knew that it was risky to tell Edward. Because knowing Edward, he's going to completely flip out and overreact. Not that I really blame him - if some girl I hated kissed him, I would through a conniption fit.

That night when Edward was putting Aveline into her crib, I finally decided to tell him.

"Edward…" I said softly. "There's something that I need to talk to you about."

He turned and looked at me. There was a hint of confusion and worry in his eye and his body stiffened. I covered my thumbs with the sleeve of my shirt and walked over to him. I grabbed his hands and closed my eyes.

"Please, just promise me that you're not going to freak out, okay?"

"What's going on?" He asked slowly.

Tears burned my eyes, and I took a deep breath to explain. My voice was just above a whisper; I was afraid to speak loudly. I was terrified that, somehow, _he_ would hear me. "Do you remember the night of graduation? We had that party with your family, and Charlie came over…"

Edward nodded his head.

"Aveline needed her diaper changed, but the diaper bag was in the car. Your mom kept Aveline and I went outside to go and get it. After I got the bag, I turned around and…"

"And what?" Edward pressed. "Bella, love, please tell me. You're beginning to worry me."

I looked up at the ceiling. I couldn't look at his pleading face. I felt too guilty. The tears I had been holding in streamed down my cheeks now. "I turned around and that officer was standing there - "

"Daniels." Edward said between clenched teeth.

I kept on with my story. "He tried to make me go to a bar with him." I laughed and rolled my eyes despite my tears. "When I told him no, he got mad, and he… well… he kissed me - "

"That son of bitch!" He growled and fiercely et go of my hands.

"Please, let me fini - "

"I'm going to kill him."

"EDWARD." I yelled. "Please, would you just let me finish?"

"After that, I slapped him and he threatened me… he said that if I told anyone then he would press charges for what you did to him at the police station a while back." I burst into tears and leaned my head against his chest. "Edward, I'm so sorry…"

It took him a moment for him to put his arms around me, and even when he did, he felt tense and distracted.

"It's not your fault at all, love."

I looked up at him and sniffled. "So, you're not mad at me?"

"Well, I wish that you would have told me a little earlier." He frowned. "But, no, I'm not mad at you."

My face fell a little. "I just thought that - "

He put a finger to my lips. "It's alright, Bella." He then dropped his hands and took a step back. "I have to go take care of something real quick, though. I'll call you when I'm done."

"Edward…"

I put my hand on his arm, but he shrugged it off and headed for the door. I chased after him. I knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to go to Daniels and bash his face in.

I continued to call his name, the tone in my voice getting harsher and harsher, as we walked. But I waited until we were outside until I did anything to stop him. I didn't want to start a scene with his family.

This time when I grabbed his arm, I did it with as much force as I could muster. I pulled him back and he stumbled.

"Bella, please let go of my arm."

"I'm not letting you do this. You're going to start something that doesn't need to be aggravated!"

"Oh, so it doesn't need to be aggravated? Last I checked, kissing someone without her consent is harassment. Even worse when she's in a relationship and he knows it!"

"I know that you're angry, but let's try and be reasonable."

"Maybe he should have been reasonable when he put his hands on you!" His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Why are you defending him?!"

"I'm not defending him!"

"Well, it sure as hell sounds like it."

"I'm trying to stop you from making things worse! What am I supposed to do when he locks you up for attacking an officer _twice_? I can't take care of her on my own." I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached for his hand. "Edward, please."

He shook me off and headed for his car while I stood helplessly on the doorstep.

"EDWARD!" I screamed at him. "Don't do this!"

He was in his car now. He looked at me one last time before he pulled out of the driveway and flew down the street. I wondered if that would be the last time I would ever see him.

I ran back inside the house and into my bedroom. I grabbed my cell phone with shaking hands and called the only person I knew who could help. My dad.

He answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Dad." I said in a panicked voice. "Are you at the station?"

"No, I'm at home, it's my day off. Why? What's wrong?"

Shit. "You need to get there now. Edward is about to do something insanely stupid and you need to stop him."

I heard the sound of footsteps from the other line. "What happened?"

"I don't really have time to explain it all. Daniels just did something to piss Edward off, and I'm more tha positive that Edward is going to bust his face open for it. I need you to go and knock some sense into him… or stop him… please…"

There was a small moment of silence. "Are you sure about this?"

"_Yes_. Please, daddy."

"I'm going now. I'll call you when I find him."

"Thank you." I whispered. A small feeling of relief washed over me, though there was still an antagonizing feeling of distress.

I put my phone down and wandered over to Aveline's crib. She was still awake; staring up at the ceiling and chewing on her fingers. I smiled and leaned down to pick her up. She smiled back at me and nestled her head into the nape of my neck.

I sat on the bed and held her in my arms, slowly rocking back and forth.

She was such a beautiful baby. Big, green eyes, and a full head of dark brown hair, which I'm almost will be dead straight like mine. Or maybe she'll get lucky and have gorgeous curls. But curly or straight, she'll be beautiful.

Looking into her eyes always made me think of Edward. Their eyes are literally identical, and I love how she has a little piece of her daddy in her.

Oh, Edward.

I can't help but wonder if he's okay. I really hope that my dad got there in time to stop him from making a very stupid mistake. If not, then I have no clue what we're going to do. I can't take care of a baby by myself and somehow make money. I can't live with the Cullens for forever.

"We'll be alright… we'll be alright…" I whispered and kissed the top of her head. "We'll be alright.

* * *

It wasn't until about nine when my phone finally rang. I was sitting on the bed reading through my copy of _Wuthering Heights _for the hundredth time, and when it vibrated, I dropped the phone to the ground and picked it up.

It was my dad.

"Is everything okay?" Was the first thing I said to him.

"Yes. Everything is taken care of. I'll let Edward explain it to you." He sighed. "But, Bella, next time you have a problem like this, just come to me. I'm the chief police. I could have taken care of him like that."

"Sorry." I mumbled. "I guess I wasn't thinking properly."

He laughed. "You're still young. You have a lot to learn."

He told me that Edward would be home in the next fifteen minutes, and that he had a few more things to take care of so he had to go. I told him thank you again, and said I'd see him soon.

Now is when the waiting game begins.

I made sure that Aveline was in bed and thought over what I was going to say to him. Was there even a reason to be mad at him? Technically he had done nothing. But I still can't help but think about what would have happened if my dad had not have saved the day.

When I heard the car pull into the driveway, my heart started racing. And when I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs, I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down.

He pushed the door open softly and walked in.

"Hi." I said softly.

"Hey." He said back emotionlessly.

I took a step towards him. "Can you please tell me what happened?"

Edward put his hands on the back of his head and let out of a deep breath. "Well, when I got to the police station, I asked to see Daniels and the guy at the desk told me he was out on his rounds. I was going to wait for him, and that's when your dad walked in."

I looked off to the side, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"He came in and basically told me that same thing that you did. He said that it wasn't worth it and that I should just blow off some steam and go home." Edward explained. "He said that he would take care of Daniels."

"I still wish that you wouldn't of said anything. Now Daniels is going to get mad and try and press charges - "

"Your dad said it's highly unlikely that he would. By pressing charges against me, we could turn back around and charge him for assault and sexual harassment. And he's getting fired anyway." He shrugged. "That's what your dad said at least."

"_Fired_?"

He took a seat on the bed and patted on the empty space next to him. I took a seat and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Bella, I don't want you to ever be afraid to tell me something. I'm always going protect you." He said.

"I know…." I sighed. "But, Edward, be honest with me. If my dad hadn't have come, would you really have tried to hurt Daniels?"

He bit his lip. "I'd like to say no, but I don't think that I would have been able to control myself. He hurt you, I hurt him."

I shook my head on his shoulder and turned my head so that my lips were inches away from his neck. He smelt good, and felt warm against my cold skin. "You know that I'm still kind of mad at you for storming off like that. You have a terrible temper."

"Are you only just now noticing this?"

I laughed and kissed him.

Is this was love is? When you're angry with someone, yet you still have the desire to be with them? To hug them, to want them, to tough them, to kiss them… when even on the darkest of days and the foulest of moods, no matter how cross you are, there's that feeling in the pit of your stomach that lets you know that you can't be angry with them for long. Because you feel something for them. Because they mean something to you. Because you love.

I'm still not sure about what love is exactly. All I know is that there a million different kinds of love, and that I had all that I need and more in my life.

* * *

**End chapter. I'm pretty proud of those last two paragraphs! Haha.  
****Some dramatic events will be coming soon regarding… a character. ;) I've already said too much. I need to stop! I really hope that you guys have a fantastic Thanksgiving. I'm so thankful to have so much support from every one of you with this story. It hasn't been easy, but it's also been fun, and I really appreciate all of you for that. You guys are all amazing, and I can never thank you enough. (:**

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**


	15. Coming

**Hey, guys. Sorry I didn't update last week. I've been working on a lot of stuff lately, so I really didn't have the time to post a new chapter. First off, I'm getting a new puppy this Friday, so I have to go out and shop for that. Christmas is coming up, and so are midterms. I've also been working on a new project, and I have a lovely co-writer/editor this time. I can't wait for you to read it. **

**But most importantly, for the past few weeks, I've been editing PTRATTS. You know, changing the Twilight characters to real characters, taking things out, adding them in… and I finished that. I'm debating whether or not to get it published. My friends have read the edited version and they love it. But we'll just have to see.**

**Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

_BPOV_

"Look at how big little Miss Aveline is getting." The doctor said as I handed Aveline to her. She was wearing a sky blue dress with white polka dots, and a creamy flower head wrap.

She's seven months old now, and she has a full head of dark, brown hair. Her skin is as pale as mine, but her eyes are as emerald green as her daddy's.

Aveline kicked her legs as the doctor began to weigh her.

"Fourteen pounds." She stated with a smile. "A nice, healthy weight."

The doctor put Aveline on the examination table. She took off her cute little outfit so she was only in her diaper and started the normal routine for her monthly checkup. She listened to her heartbeat, checked her reflexes - everything.

I stood at the end of the table and crossed my arms, trying my best not to intervene. Lately, she hasn't been too found of hospitals. When we went to visit Edward one day at work she started crying. And now that she's being pricked and prodded by all these tools, I know that she's not too happy.

The doctor wheeled her chair away from my baby for a second, then came back with a clipboard.

"Let's see. She should start teething any day now." The doctor explained. "And trying to crawl, if she hasn't already."

I pictured Aveline crawling in my mind and smiled. "Yes, she has."

"Good!" She glanced back at her clipboard. "It looks like she's up for another shot."

My face fell. Edward is usually here when she gets her shots, and he holds her. I can't handle getting shots, let alone watch them.

"Oh. Um, how many?" My palms felt sweaty.

"Quite a bit. Four."

_Four_?

I put the diaper bag on the floor and walked over to Aveline. She looked up at me unhappily, with watery green eyes. I held her in my arms, pressing her face against my chest. The second the doctor took her arm and rubbed the alcohol on her arm, Aveline tried to pull away and started crying.

I kissed the top of her head and looked away from the needle piercing her skin. "Shh. It's okay, sweetie…"

She cried even harder at each shot. By the time we were done, she was screaming, and gripping her arms around my neck. My shirt was wet with her tears; my skin was sweaty from holding her so closely.

"There we go. All done." The doctor said and put a Tinkerbelle band-aid on both of her arms.

I pulled Aveline back and wiped the tears from her eyes with my finger. Her lips were pursed, and her eyebrows were furrowed. She looked at me as if asking why I made her do that. I frowned and kissed her on the forehead.

After setting up her next appointment, I packed everything up, and walked out of the room. I decided to stop by Edward's floor and say "hey" before we left.

I leaned against the desk with Aveline in my arms. "Hi. Can you please tell me where Edward Cullen is?" He should be on his lunch break.

The guy looked down at his watch. "Probably in the cafeteria. Why?"

"I'm his girlfriend."

"Ah. So you're the famous Bella."

A blush crept along my cheeks. I guess that he talks about me a lot at work. "Yes. That would be me."

"And that must be the baby… Aveline…?"

I nodded. "Yes, this is Aveline."

The guys smiled. "She's adorable." He studied my face for a minute. "She looks just like you."

"Really? I think she looks more like Edward."

He laughed. "Nah. She has his eyes, but she looks more like you." He shook his head. "I won't keep you any longer. Go on and see your boyfriend. Oh, yeah, I'm Devin, by the way."

I smiled. "Nice meeting you, Devin."

I made my way to the cafeteria. A lot of Edward's co-workers waved to me as I walked by. I suddenly felt like some kind of celebrity - I've never seen these people in my life before. How do they know who I am?

Sure enough, Edward was sitting in the cafeteria, eating some kind of sandwich, and on his phone. I came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and smiled at me.

"Hey, there." He looked surprised.

"Hey yourself." I kissed him on the cheek and sat across from him at the table, still holding Aveline in my arms. She looked over at Edward and started reaching for him. "I think your daughter wants you."

"I think so." He chuckled and took her from me. She nestled her head into his chest and he ran his hand through her dark hair. "How was the appointment?"

"Not the best. She had to get four shots."

"Four?" He looked down at her. "Poor thing."

"I know." I laughed. "I don't think that she's too happy with me."

Edward laughed and then looked down at her. "It's okay, Aveline. Daddy is nice. He won't make you get a shot like Mommy."

I rolled my eyes and he laughed again.

"How has your day been?"

He slid the sandwich over to me. I picked it up and took a bite. I hadn't even realized that I was this hungry. The spinach, mozzarella, and tomato tasted so amazing together, and I didn't even like spinach that much.

"Not bad." He said. "Just long."

We sat and talked for the rest of his lunch break. Before I knew it, his pager was going off, and it was time for him to leave. He gave Aveline back to me and gave us both a little kiss before we walked off in opposite directions.

I left the hospital, got in the car, and drove back home.

When we were back at the house, I brought Aveline into the living room and put her on the floor, then took a seat on the couch. She crawled over to me and gripped her tiny fingers on the edge of the couch.

I looked over at her and she started at me with widened green eyes.

"Hi, sweetie." I whispered to her.

Her eyes widened even more, and she tried to pull herself up. I put my hands under her arms and helped her onto her feet. She held onto the couch and wobbled. Had she not leaned forward to try to reach me, she would have stood for longer. But she fell down onto the ground.

"Uh-oh. Did you fall down?"

She crawled back over to me and tried again.

This went on for a while, but she got no where. I let her try and try and until she got frustrated with herself and started to cry. That's when I picked her up and put her on top of me.

She pressed her hand against my face and played with my hair with her other hand. She touched my eyes, and my lips, and my nose, and my ears, almost like she was exploring. I laughed and kissed her on the forehead again.

"It's time to go to sleep." I said, even though she couldn't understand.

I put her next to me and traced my fingers up and down her arms sleepily. Nap time wasn't just for Aveline anymore. I've come to learn that sometimes mommy is just as tired as baby.

The second I closed my eyes, I was asleep.

* * *

It was around four o'clock when the phone rang.

I sat up on the couch, and looked down at Aveline, who was passed out right next to me. I shook my head and reached for my cell phone, which was ringing right next to me. I put it to my ear and answered groggily.

"Hello?"

"Bella? Hi, this is Rachel Higginbotham." The real estate agent.

I shot up straight and cleared my throat. "Oh, yes! Hi. How are you?"

"I'm great." She answered. "I have some news. You won the offer on the apartment."

My heart skipped a beat in my chest, and I suddenly couldn't hide the excitement arousing in my voice. "Really?"

She laughed softly. "Yes! Congratulations."

I couldn't believe it. We had actually gotten the apartment! Now we will officially have our own little place. No more living with his parents, or having to live with the small town life anymore. In a matter of weeks, it'll be us, and only us. And that's exactly how it should be.

"When should we come down to Seattle to close?"

"As soon as possible." She answered quickly. "The people who own it right now want it off our hands. If you don't make it final soon then they'll give it to the other couple."

"Well, I'll have to talk to Edward… maybe tomorrow?" That should work. Once Edward gets off of work he could drive down and meet us there. "I'll talk to him and get back to you."

"Alright, Bella. Call me as soon as you can."

We said goodbye, and as soon as she hung up, I immediately dialed Edward's number into my cell phone. It rang and rang until he finally picked up on the fifth ring, which was unusual for him.

I had to remind myself that he was at work.

"Hello?" He answered in a muffled, hushed voice.

"Hey, baby." I said, happily. The good news was burning on the tip of my tongue. I was aching to get it out and tell him.

"Is everything alright?" Edward asked me, probably because I don't usually call him at work.

"Yes." I told him. "Everything is more than alright, actually. I have to tell you something."

There was a small pause. I heard papers rustling and a door squeaking shut. There was another small noise, one that I couldn't quite make out. "What is it?" He finally asked after a long moment.

I took a deep breath. "We got the offer on the apartment!"

He sounded elated. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes!" I smiled ear-to-ear. "Can you believe it?"

I suddenly wished that I had told him in person. The moment would have been so much more magical and memorable. This _is_ our first house after all.

"When do they want to close on it?" Edward asked eagerly.

"Really soon. That's why I called you." I explained. "When is good for you? I was thinking maybe Friday. Aveline and I could go down there for the day and you could meet us there after work."

He thought for a minute. "Are you going to be okay with her all day?"

"Edward, please." I switched the phone to my other ear and nestled it between my shoulder and ear. "I do it every day."

"But in Seattle? The crime rate there is crazy."

"If we're going to be living there, I'm going to be alone with her in the city every day. We may as well get used to it."

He sighed. "Alright, well, if that's what you want to do, then I'm okay with it. As long as you feel safe."

"I'll be fine." I snapped at him.

Another silence.

"I've got to get back to work. I'll see you when I get home. Love you."

"Love you too."

He hung up, and after calling and confirming with Rachel, I threw my phone onto the couch.

Tomorrow we close on the apartment. Tomorrow we can start getting ready for the first step in our new life. A house, baby, college… marriage, even. I know that's coming. He's already promised to me that he's going to marry me someday - hence the promise ring.

Things seems a little backwards for us, and maybe they are. Most people don't have a baby, then get an apartment, then college, then marriage. But we aren't 'most people'. We're Edward and Bella.

I pick Aveline up and carry her upstairs. She's still fast asleep in my arms, and I feel kind of bad when I start running the bath for her, because she wakes up almost immediately. I hate waking her up, but it has to be done.

I gave her a quick bath, then changed into her green pajamas. After I dress her, I feed her too. By that time, it's only five, which is too early to put her to bed. If she goes to sleep now, she'll be up all night long.

Instead, I sit her on our bed and play with her while we wait for Edward to get home.

But it takes another hour or so for him to get off of work. In that time period, I helped his mom make dinner, played with Aveline, read a book, and even cleaned up all of the baby toys around the house. The entire time, the only thing on my mind is the house.

I think about how we're going to decorate it, and how many memories are going to take place there. The future is a weird thing to think about, because you just never know.

When Edward does get home, we eat dinner, and go upstairs with Aveline. It's kind of nice for us to be able to sit on the bed and talk while she crawls around on the floor and plays with her toys.

"I'm excited." I said to him and reach for his hand.

He smiles at me. "I'm excited too. But you do know that we're going to have to watch our spending after this. It's a lot of money."

I nodded. "I know. But I think we can do it." I would have offered to get a job myself, but that was obviously out of the picture. Not only would Edward refuse, but I'm going to have to stay home with Aveline.

"I know we can." He sighed. "There's just so much going on right now."

I leaned forward and held his face in my hands. "I know that a lot is going on. This is a really crazy time for the both of us. But I know that you can do it, because you always do. You always make it through. And I love you for that." I kissed him.

He rested his hands on my waist. "I love you too."

* * *

**I'm sorry. I really want to go on and let you read what I have planned - because it is so crazy, insane dramatic - but I feel like I need to stop. I have somewhere to go today, and I don't want to rush it. I think I'm going to update on Wednesday, though. I won't be able to next weekend (new puppy, two parties, a race, second Christmas tree, new story, AND Christmas shopping. Good God). **

**I love you! Would you guys read/buy PTRATTS if it were an actual book? Let me know in your review! I'm so close to 300. (:**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley**

**Follow me on twitter halleybrown13. (:  
****A new story will be posted soon. **


	16. Accidents Happen

**Hey. Wow. Things have been crazy. I had seven exams to study for, and we just got a new puppy. Needless to say, writing was at the bottom of my list! But I'm on Christmas break now, and I have all the time in the world. That being said, here's the next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews last time, even though I didn't have the time to respond to all of you. **

* * *

_BPOV  
_

It felt weird heading up to Seattle without Edward. He's normally right by my side, holding my hand while he drives. Today it's just Aveline and I.

I put her in her car seat and jumped into the passenger seat. Even though it's July now, it still feels really cold outside. I put the keys into the ignition and looked at Aveline in my rear view mirror. She had her hands in her mouth, and was chewing on her little fingers.

A smile broke out on my lips as I backed out of the driveway.

Not only was this trip lonelier, but it was also longer. Edward usually drives about seven miles over the speed limit, sometimes even faster, but I could never even dream of speeding. If anything, I go under the speed limit.

I listened to music and thought about how excited I am to finally get this apartment the entire drive there. It helped the time pass. Envisioning my future, seeing where everything will go from this point. It's exciting, and scary, and insane. But I think it's something that we're ready for.

Of course it will be different all on our own. We won't have the help we have now, and we defiantly won't have as much support. Change is inevitable. There's no point trying to hide from it. In fact, it might as well be embraced.

Before I knew it, we were in Seattle city limits. The drive that I thought would have been tedious and anxious had flown by.

I drove slowly through the streets, trying to find the address of the real estate agency. We had never been before, so it was all new to us. It took me about fifteen minutes to find the place, and once I did, it took even longer to find a parking space. Once we were parked, I got Aveline out of her car seat and started walking.

Our appointment isn't for another hour and a half, so I figured Aveline and I could stop for lunch.

There was a little place not too far from the building, so I walked in with Aveline in my arms. The people sitting at the tables raised their eyebrows at me and stared as I walked to an empty booth. This didn't bother me anymore. It's something that I've gotten used to.

I picked up a menu and looked over it. Even though the weather isn't the greatest outside, I felt a sudden urge to eat vanilla ice cream. When the waiter came by, I asked for an ice cream and a big glass of water.

While I waited for the food to come, I pulled out one of the bottles I made for Aveline earlier this morning, and fed her.

She looked up at me sleepily. Her green eyes were fighting to stay open, and she tilted her head back while she drank. I stroked my finger against her porcelain cheek and kissed the top of her head. Once I had finished feeding her, she started shaking her head and kicking her arms and legs… her attempt at staying awake, I assumed.

I moved her from in my arms to my chest. She wrapped her arms around my neck and stood on my lap. Her feet were wobbling, but she used my head for her own support.

I laughed quietly and tickled her tummy. "What are you doing, sweetie?"

Aveline squealed and patted her hands against my head.

I saw the waiter walking back towards us, so I put Aveline back down. He slid a small bowl of ice cream towards me, and put the water by its side. I thanked him and pulled out the plastic spoon to start eating.

The ice cream was cold against my teeth, but the sweet taste was exactly what I had been hoping for. I took one bite, then another, and another.

Aveline looked down at the bowl in curiosity, the started reaching for it. I pulled her back, but she kept reaching her arms out for the bowl of ice cream. I didn't know whether or not to give her any. I've seen parents give babies ice cream before - one's much younger than Aveline. It didn't seem like one tiny little taste could hurt her either.

I put a little bit on the end of the spoon and put it in her mouth. She widened her eyes and smacked her lips at the icy temperature. I laughed and wiped her chin with a napkin, then kissed her cheek.

"Was that yummy?" I asked her as she tried to reach for it again.

I pushed it away from her. One taste of ice cream is enough for one day. When she's older I'll let her try it again, maybe even a little more. She wined as she continued to reach for the bowl of ice cream in front of her.

"No, no, sweetie." When it finally clicked in her head that I wasn't giving her anymore, she started crying. Crying was even an understatement for what she was doing - screaming was more like it.

A few people turned their heads to see what was going on.

I picked her up with my hands underneath her arms and bounced her up and down. The pitch of her voice went up with each bounce, but it didn't soothe her like it usually does. She kept on screaming. I put her head against my shoulder and rubbed her back.

The waiter came back up to our table a few minutes later. He raised his eyebrow at the baby and handed me the check. "Thanks for dining with us."

"Thanks." I called out above Aveline's wails. I slipped a ten into the check, signed for it, and walked out. They can keep the change.

It was just my luck that it was raining outside. I did my best to hide Aveline from the rainfall, but it didn't do much. The rain was falling harder and harder by the second. I went as fast as I my legs would allow to the car. I didn't even bother to put my screaming baby girl in her car seat. I slid into the front and held her against my chest.

I picked up the diaper bag and looked for the pair of extra clothes I brought. My hand brushed against something soft, and I picked it up. Sure enough, it was clothes.

Nobody was around, and even if they were, the rain was too hard for them see inside, so I changed Aveline's clothes in the front seat. She squirmed around a bit, but her cries were slowly getting softer and softer. Now that she's warm and dry, maybe she'll even fall asleep.

I turned on some music and hummed along.

Aveline yawned and snuggled into my chest. I kept rubbing her back, and, as I had suspected, she drifted off into sleep. We had another half hour in the car before our appointment, so I pulled out my phone and called Edward.

"Hello?" He answered on the third ring.

"Hey." I smiled even though he can't see me. "Are you almost here?"

"Yup." Edward said. "I'm about twenty minutes away. Are you guys doing alright? The weather is getting pretty bad."

I told him about what happened in the ice cream store. "We're just waiting in the car now. Aveline's asleep, and I'm just waiting for you to get here so we can head inside."

"You don't have to wait on me. Go on in. I'll be okay."

"It's really okay."

"I'd feel better if you were inside and safe instead of a car in the middle of a storm." Edward pointed out.

I sighed. "If it really makes you feel better…"

He chuckled. "Alright. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Love you too."

The line went dead, and I threw my phone back into the diaper bag. Going out into the rain really didn't seem like fun. Especially since I had just changed Aveline into clean clothes.

I turned the engine off and hung the bag over my shoulder. An idea popped into my head; I shrugged out of my jacket and I put Aveline into it. She didn't so much as stir in her sleep.

I pushed the door open and ran into the pouring rain.

My hair was dripping wet. So were my clothes, shoes, and even the bag. But Aveline was dry, and that's all that matters to me. Keeping her safe and happy will always be my main priority.

Luckily for me, the heater was on inside the building. I signed in at the front desk, and took a seat. I rested Aveline in my lap and squeezed the dripping water out of my hair while I waited for Edward to get here.

It would be nice to go to a bathroom and clean up for real. The woman who had helped me sign in had left to get coffee, and there was no one else standing in the room. I stood up and wandered through the halls, trying to find a bathroom.

Just as I went to turn a corner, someone bumped into me.

"Oh!" I gasped, and gripped onto Aveline a little tighter. "I am so - " I looked up and froze. "_Officer Daniels_?"

He was wearing a new uniform. One that read 'Seattle Police Department'. "Bella?"

I instinctively took a step backwards.

"Wait, Bella, please." He grabbed my arm softly.

"Don't touch me." I spat and pulled my arm away from him.

"Okay, fine. But, please, listen to me." He dropped his voice down to a whisper. His eyes were pleading; his face full of emotion.

"Why should I listen to you? Edward's going to be here any minute now."

"Because I know everything you want to hear. About Lauren, Laura, your mom, and everything else."

I looked down at the floor. Was this actually happening? This man who had tried attacked my boyfriend, and tried to attack me, was giving me an explanation for everything. I felt my heart pound in my chest, and curiosity burned on the tip of my tongue.

"You have two minutes to explain." I whispered. "Starting now."

"When your mom was went to prison, my dad was one of the guards who worked there at the time. The two of them had some kind of bond that I'll never be able to understand. He opened up to her. She listened to him. Ever since my mom died, he had never been the same… until he met her. When it was time for my dad to retire, he knew that he couldn't leave her there all on her own. So, he helped her get out.

"That's where I come into the picture. I stepped into my father's footsteps. He wanted me to know her as well as he did. I met her a few times. We talked. She seemed a little… off to me. Let's me honest - your mom has a problem." He paused for a moment, as thought hesitant as to whether or not he should tell me. "I don't know if you this, but when she was in prison, they found out that she has a severe case OCD… she feels compelled to keep the people she loves to herself and herself only.

"That's why she killed Billy. She felt like he was taking Charlie away from her."

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat.

"What about Lauren and Laura? How do they fit into this?" My voice was barely even audible to myself.

He took a deep breath. "Your mom wasn't just obsessed with your dad. She had an obsession like that with you. When she got out of prison, she tried to find you. She found out that you were taking those classes, and threatened Laura. She was so afraid that she left town."

I closed my eyes. "And Lauren?"

"I don't want you to panic, okay?" He looked at me very seriously. "I was with your mom that night. We were driving around Forks, and it got really rainy, so I pulled over. All of a sudden, this car flew out of no where. I'm an officer, so I decided to see why they were so driving so fast. We followed them to the hospital. Two girls got out of the car… that friend of yours, and you."

I gasped.

"Your mom thought she had done something to you. She screamed at me until I got into the passenger seat, and she was behind the wheel. She followed the car, and when your friend slowed down to take a tight corner, she ran her off the road.

"I yelled at her. I grabbed the steering wheel and made her pull over. She told me that she was protecting her daughter, and asked me to help her take care of the body. I put her down in the ditch and covered her with leaves to stop the rain from getting her wet… when I came out of the woods, your friend's car was gone. So was your mom."

I felt my chest tighten. My mom was after everyone and anyone who was close to me. What if Edward was next? Or Aveline?

Officer Daniels put his hand on my shoulder. "Bella calm down. Take deep breaths."

I hadn't even realized that I was hyperventilating.

"She's going to come after me. She's going to get Edward, and the his family, and - "

"Bella, stop!" He commanded me. "Your mom isn't going to do anything."

"How do you know that?"

"I put some of my friends on lookout for her. They found her, and put her into the nearest mental facility. We've been meaning to call your dad for a while now, but it only happened a few days ago."

My head felt like it was going to burst. I let out a shaky, deep breath. "Thank you for telling me that."

Officer Daniels smiled at me. "Thanks for letting me explain. I'm sorry for everything."

I didn't necessarily accept his apology, so I smiled back at him and nodded him. Someone walked out of their office, and we both parted in our own ways. I eventually found the bathroom, and I walked in to clean up.

It was hard to make myself look somewhat presentable while holding a baby, but I managed. I wiped my face with a paper towel, and pulled my hair back with a big clip I had in the diaper bag. When I made myself look a little better, I went back into the waiting room, where Edward was waiting on me.

Edward kissed me on the cheek. "Hey there."

"Hey." I tried to play it off like nothing had happened. This is not the right time to tell him.

"You're soaking wet." He frowned and took his jacket off. I smiled as he took Aveline from me, and put his sweet smelling jacket on. "I hope you haven't been waiting for long." He put his arm around me.

"No, no. I went to the bathroom."

Edward nodded and put Aveline in the stroller he brought. I didn't even see it sitting there, but I was thankful he brought it there. My arms were beginning to ache from holding her for so long.

He put his hands in his pocket. "So, I was thinking that we could go out for dinner tonight. Just the two of us. My mom already said that she'd watch the baby."

I was taken aback. "Really?"

"And I made reservations."

"Well, I guess I can't say no then, now can I?" I teased.

He laughed and rocked back and forth on his heels. I raised one eyebrow.

"Miss Swan?" Someone called from the hallway. I looked over at Edward and reached for his hand. He grabbed it, and grabbed the stroller with his other hand in one swift maneuver. He had to let go to push the stroller, so I walked by his side instead.

When we were finally in the room, we were given tons of papers to sign. I gave Edward sarcastic "oh joy" look, and we read through each and every line as the realtor explained all of the legal and financial issues.

Most of what she was saying sounded like gibberish to me. I wrote down a few terms that she was saying to I could look them up later, but it seemed like Edward knew exactly what he was talking about. He talked to her like he knew what she saying.

We signed more papers, and listened to her talk some more. Aveline woke up halfway through the appointment, and I had to leave to change her diaper and feed her while Edward stayed with the realtor.

At around three, we were finally done. We shook hands with the realtor and she handed us the keys to _our_ new apartment. It was officially ours!

We walked out to the lobby, and stopped in mid step to look at each other. A smile spread across the both of our faces, and I jumped into his arms out of pure happiness. He spun me around a little, and when I was back on my feet, he kissed the tip of my nose.

"What time is our reservation?" I asked excitedly.

"It's at about 7:30, but I can push it back if we need to." Edward said.

"I think we can make that." I smiled. "I'll meet you back at the house."

"Did you want me to take the baby?"

"No, it's fine. I've got her."

We kissed one more time before we ran back out to our cars. The rain hadn't calmed down in the slightest. If anything, it had gotten worse. And there's thunder and lightning now, which is never a good sign.

I tried to listen to the radio, but the connection was terrible, and all I could hear was static. I settled for the sound of the rain.

Driving in such torrential rain flashed me back to that night with Lauren. Flashes of her dragging me into the car, flying down the road, and helping me into the hospital instantly flooded me.

She was probably driving just like me when my mom ran her off the road. Worried about something. Not paying as much attention to the road as she should. I still remember the look on her face when she told me that everything would be alright.

I gripped onto the steering wheel while the tears streamed down my face.

"I'm so sorry…" I whispered.

Was this my fault? No. It wasn't. I still felt a twinge of guilt for what happened to her. If I hadn't of gone into labor at that moment, she would still be alive. If I had given her my valedictorian spot. Or if I had refused to go to that stupid camp with her…

The tears clouded my eyes, and I could hardly see. I wiped them away and squinted to see what was in front of me.

Everything happened in a flash.

One second I was trying to see what was in front of me, and the next, I was hydroplaning over the road. My hands fumbled on the steering wheel as I tried to regain control of the car, but I couldn't. Water splashed up against the window, and the car was spinning.

I saw it before I felt it - the pole on the side of the empty interstate. I looked at the reflection of my Aveline in the mirror - maybe the last time I'll ever see her - before I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for impact.

There was nothing I could do to save us.

* * *

**End chapter. ;)**

**Let's hope that Bella and Aveline are alright! And what did you think about Officer Daniels - do you believe him? Let me know in your review. I'm so close to 300. Please, please, please, help me break it! I'm working on a new project too, and I'm SO excited to share it with you. I'll probably be making a "trailer" for it like I made with this story and PTRATTS.**

**Love,  
****Halley.**

**P.S. Thanks to all of you who said you'd read PTRATTS if it was a real book! That was so kind of you. I'm working on making it a reality… (:**


	17. I Want You Forever, Forever and Always

**I know, I know. I just updated the other day. If you want someone to thank for this quick update, thank VampireFreakXoxoxo… because it's her birthday, and this is like my birthday present for her. You guys just get in on it too! So wish her a happy birthday. **

**But thanks for all the response on the last chapter. You guys were freaking out! I thought some of you were going to flip out and die. Hehe. I'll probably be updating again before Christmas, by the way. I'm feeling generous. ENJOY THE CHAPTER. Oh, and if you want a Christmas fic. to read... I have two on my profile. I Believe In Us This Holiday, and Merry Christmas. (:**

**P.S. I am writing from Edward's perspective. He's just so perfect that I'll probably screw it up. Just thought I'd warn you all.**

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_EPOV_

Walking out of the real estate agents office was the best feeling in the world. In my hand are the key to _my _new apartment. Not 'my' - 'our' new apartment felt much more appropriate for the situation. This will be the place where I will raise my daughter, and live with my lover.

Bella. My beautiful Bella.

I cannot even begin to explain my feelings for her. What I feel for her is more than just love. It's an indescribable feeling of unconditional longing and desire for one person. It's something that I've read about so many times, but always thought it to be too good to true. Until now. Until I met my love.

Bella looked ecstatic as we walked out of the office. Her brown eyes were filled with happiness, and the excited expression was clear on her face. Though, deep down, I could sense that something was bothering her. I didn't ask. I'll ask at a better time.

We didn't say anything when we walked into the lobby. She just turned to look at me, and I couldn't help but smile at her radiance. She smiled back at me and ran over, into my arms. I held her up and spun her around in a little circle before I placed her back on her feet, like some kind of thing that happens in the movies. I kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"What time is our reservation?" Bella asked me.

"It's at about 7:30, but I can push it back if we need to." I offered.

"I think we can make that." She smiled at me again, beautifully. "I'll meet you back at the house."

"Did you want me to take the baby?" She had been with Aveline for so long. I didn't know if she wanted some time to herself or not. Not only that, but I hadn't spent much time with her myself.

"No, it's fine. I've got her."

I kissed her once more before we both ran to our cars. I jumped into the Volvo and slammed the door behind me. Being outside in the rain for less than a minute had practically soaked my entire shirt.

I let Bella leave the parking lot and followed shortly behind so that I could keep an eye on her. I wasn't sure how I felt about her driving alone in weather this torrential, especially with Aveline in the back.

I don't remember the last time it rained this hard. It was impossible to see through my windshield, and the only audible sound is the pounding of the rain against my windows. The only thing locking my sight of Bella is her headlights, which barely shine through the rainy night.

Tonight Bella and I are going out for dinner; just the two of us. I've had this night planned out for a long time, which is why I wasn't too sure about coming down to Seattle. I wasn't sure if we were going to make it home for the reservation, though now it's apparent that we will.

We will be going to a small Italian restaurant in Forks. Nothing too big, nothing too flashy, because I know that Bella doesn't like things like that. I've already asked them to hold us a table at the back of the restaurant, too. Just for Bella's sake.

We leave for Seattle in only a matter of weeks now, and I want to have everything settled before we leave. This why I planned this date the night I did. This is why I asked my mom to watch Aveline.

I want Bella to know that I am going to stand by her side for the rest of our lives. I want her to know that she is mine, and only mine. I'm going to keep my promise to her. I'm going to make her my wife.

The ring was hiding in the glove compartment in the passengers seat. I glanced over at it and smiled. This time tomorrow, I'll be engaged. I'm positive that she'll say yes. Having this baby were practically our vows to each other.

When I looked back up at the road and tried to find Bella, I noticed that something was wrong. Her truck was no longer in front of me, but in the middle of the empty street. My eyes widened in horror, and I immediately swerved to the side of the road.

Was there something I could do? Anything I could do? My mind raced, but no. I could do nothing but watch as the truck hydroplaned and headed straight for the pole on the side of the street. I gripped onto the steering wheel and tried to see through the pouring rain. I squinted my eyes and saw right as it happened. I saw the truck collide head on with the interstate's emergency phone line. How ironic.

"No!" I yell to myself and ran out into the rain. The rain immediate soaked me from head to toe, but I hardly even notice. I drag my feet through the slushy grass by the side of the road, and run as fast as I can to the truck. I have to save her. I have to make her okay again.

"Bella!" I find myself calling as I run.

The first thing I do when I get to the truck is yank open the back door. Aveline is sitting in her car seat, wrapped up in Bella's favorite red jacket, and crying. I crawl into the seat and look at her. She has a small scratch on her head, but she looks fine. I kiss the top of her head. "You're okay, you're okay. Daddy's here. It's okay." I whisper to my daughter. She continues to scream.

That's when I realize that Bella is silent. Bella isn't saying anything. Bella isn't calming her daughter. I climb out of the back seat and run to the front, where I yank the door open. Her head is leaning against the headrest, her mouth is open, and blood trickles down her pink lips.

I put my hands on her shoulder. "Bella. Wake up, love, please." I press my fingers against her neck and try to find a pulse. A small panic runs through my body as I struggle to find it. It takes me a while, but it's there - faint and weak, but there.

The rain from outside soaks her the left side of the body. I know that I shouldn't, but I pull her out of the car, and let the rain fall all over her. Maybe it will wake her up… maybe it will do help… do something… _anything_…

I run over to the emergency phone on the side of the road and dial 911. An operator answers on the second ring.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"My girlfriend and my daughter were in an accident… you have to help…" I look over at my lifeless Bella. "She's not moving."

"Sir, please calm down. Where are you?"

I tell them where I am, and they ask me about the two of them. I tell the operator that Bella is eighteen, and Aveline is eight months. I can't even hear my own words. All I can think is about her.

"Does she have a pulse?"

"Barely." I shout through the rain. She asks me if I know CPR; I tell her yes, and she instructs me to start it while I wait for them to get there. I don't even bother to hang up the phone. I drop it and run over to Bella, and kneel my her side.

"Stay with me… please, Bella… please…" I whisper and start compression on her chest. I do thirty and force air through her bloody lips. Her chest rises in response. I continue this for what seems like forever. Her pulse is still barely there.

I'm so focused on keeping Bella alive, that I don't even realize when the ambulance is here. They pull me off of her and put her up on a stretcher. I watch painfully as they wheel her in the back of the car, and it takes off down the street.

"Where's the baby?" One of the medics asks me.

I show him to Aveline, and he picks her up. She cries even harder in his arms and reaches for me. I grab hold of her tiny hands and follow them into the back of a separate ambulance.

They let me hold her in the ambulance, since her injuries don't seem too bad. They said that they'll make sure everything is alright once we're at the hospital. In the meantime, they give me a blanket to wrap her up in.

The ride to the hospital is pain-stacking. Every moment is a moment that Bella's life is on the line. And a moment that I do not know what's going on. I held onto our child a little tighter and hoped for the best.

* * *

I thought that the ride to the hospital would be the worst part, but it's not. The most antagonizing feeling in the world is sitting in the waiting room. Two of the medics who came to the scene of the accident drove me back there so I could get my car. I took the Volvo and someone else took Bella's truck.

When I got back, they still weren't done in the waiting room. I paced back and forth throughout the hospital hallways, trying to pass the time.

I was going to propose to her tonight. Tonight was going to be the night that would tie the knot for our future together. Now I don't know if it will happen. I don't know if I'll have someone to share this future with.

What will I do? Aveline cannot possibly live without her mother. I don't have the time to raise her by myself. I have to go to school and work. Giving her away is not an option either. She's my darling. The only reminder of my love.

I put my head in my hands and breathed deeply.

"Mr. Cullen?" Someone said sometime later.

My head immediately show up and I stood up. "That's me."

A woman with long brown hair walked over to me and shook my head. "Hi, it's nice to see you. I'm Doctor Meadows. I'm been watching over everything that happened tonight."

"Are they okay?"

"You're lucky, the baby is absolutely fine." Her blue eyes smiled for her. "Would you like to see Isabella now?"

I nodded vigorously.

"Alright, Mr. Cullen." She said, and walked down the hallway. I followed closely behind. Had I known the layout of this hospital, and what room she was in, I would have been there much faster than she was taking me there. "She's a little drugged up from the medicine, but she's going to be okay."

I thanked her and opened the door.

Bella was laying on the bed with her hair neatly brushed my her side. Tubes ran up and down her arms, and she even had one in her nose. There was a huge bandage on her forehead, and her legs had bruises all over.

"Bella?" I whispered.

The heart monitor beeped as she stirred.

I didn't want to wake her, so I tip toed to her side and gently grabbed her hand. I rubbed my thumb against her soft skin, and pressed my lips against it too. The only thought running through my head right now is: _she's okay_.

I hum the song I wrote for Olivia Isabel a while back. The loss that we have through is almost too much to bear. Sometimes I wonder how we're still here - together and happy.

Bella stirred again in her sleep. This time she moved her head from side to side and moaned. I sat silently and watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She blinked a few times, then sat up in bed with a panicked look on her face. I grabbed her arm and she turned to look at me.

"Shh. You're okay."

"Edward." She croaked. As the tears flooded to her eyes, she leaned over to wrap her arms around my neck. I held her and lightly rubbed her back. Hot tears fell from her eyes and onto my damp shirt. "I'm so sorry." She whispers.

"For what?"

"For the accident… I could have died, and - " she gasps and grips onto my shoulder tightly. "Edward. What about Aveline? Is she okay?"

"They said that the baby is fine."

She pulls away from me and takes a few minutes to breathe. I watch her intently. Even now, all batted up and in the hospital, she looks like an absolute angel. I wipe the falling tears from her eyes and hold onto her hand again. "Everything is okay."

Bella let out a shaky sigh. "Okay. I trust you."

The nurse comes back in another fifteen minutes later, and when she sees that Bella is awake, she goes through the standard procedure of asking questions, running some tests, and checking her vitals. I hold her hand through all of this.

She opens up her folder. "The damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. Bruises on both legs, slightly cracked rib from the steering wheel, along with cuts on the forehead because of the steering wheel as well. The airbags didn't do much damage. Just a few more bruises. But the most important thing is that the baby is alright."

"Can I see her, please?" Bella pleaded.

The nurse laughed. "You're so silly, honey."

I looked over at Bella and raised one eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? She's mine. I need to see her now!" Bella screamed at the nurse.

"Oh." She laughed again. "_That_ baby."

"Yes." I pop into the conversation, as if it were obvious. "The one and only."

"For now, of course. You'll have another one in nine months!"

There was a long moment of silence, until Bella finally spoke. "W-w-hat you do you mean?"

"Did you not know?" She looked from myself to Bella. "You're pregnant."

A million thoughts shot through my mind. How? When? I didn't even think it was possible. The thought had never occurred to me. As far as I was concerned, it was just the three of us…

I was so shocked about the news that I asked the nurse to do another ultrasound. While she set up the equipment, I looked over at Bella, who was staring straight at the wall in absolute shock. Her eyes were completely blank.

The nurse did the ultrasound, and, sure enough, there was a tiny gray dot in the middle of the black. She's two months along. She printed off a picture for us and cleaned up all the equipment. "Congrats. I'll give you some time to… talk." She said before she left the room.

Bella was unresponsive. I waited for her to say something, or at least do something, but she just sat there as still as a statue.

How did this happen? Okay, well, I obviously know the answer to that question. But… when? I thought back for a moment until it hit me: the night I got my acceptance letter to the university.

"I'm not ready for another baby." Bella shook her head. "I can't…"

I grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be alright. We can make it through this. Okay?"

She looked at me very seriously. "Edward, if you don't want this anymore, you can walk out. I… I'll somehow manage without you. I don't want to hold you back. I don't want you to feel like I'm ruining your life…"

Her statement surprised me. "Isabella. I do not want out of this. I _chose_ this life you with you. Do you really think that I'm going to leave you because of this? Walking out did not once shoot through my mind when she said that you were pregnant."

She swallowed. "I want you to be honest with me…"

"I am."

Bella breathed deeply and suddenly burst into tears. I looked at her for a long moment before I held her in my arms. She sobbed uncontrollably for quite some time, and I was there through every moment of it.

She finally looked back up at me and wiped her eyes. "Good. Please don't leave me ever. I can't do this without you. I can't do anything with you."

"I'm going to stay with you for forever."

"Promise?"

I twirled the promise ring around her finger. She smiled back at me. A nervous feeling spread through my body, and I felt my heart racing. This is me proving that I'm going to be here for her. Me promising that it's me and her. Not just as a vow of love, but as a vow that we will make it through this together.

I slowly pulled the promise ring off of her finger and put it on the bedside table.

"What are you doing?" She asked me.

"I have to ask you a question."

Bella's face froze, but she played innocent, as if she didn't know what was going on. "A-anything."

How should I do this? I was planning on just slipping down on one knee at the restaurant, but that didn't seem like it would work right now. I'm already kneeling by her hospital bed.

I pulled the ring out of my pocket and put it in her hand. She looked down at it in shock. "Open it." I encouraged her. She gulped softly and opened it. Inside was the beautiful ring that I had bought months ago - a twisted, golden band with a shining diamond in the middle.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Bella. No matter how hard things get, I want you to be right by my side throughout it all." I smiled. "Will you marry me?"

Bella gasped. "Oh my god."

"Is that a yes?"

She looked up at me. "Yes. I will marry you."

I picked up the ring and slid it onto her finger, where it would stay for forever.

* * *

_"I want you forever, forever and always. Through the good and the bad and the ugly. We'll grow old together. Forever and always."  
__- Parachute_


	18. A Letter From The Writer

**Hello!  
****I'm sorry to be bothering you guys - and maybe getting your hopes up for nothing when you realize that this is not your usual update - but I do need your opinion on a few things. As you probably all know, I'm working on making PTRATTS a publicized book! I've rewritten it, edited it, and right now I'm looking for some literary agents who will hopefully represent me. But, I have some dilemmas that I think I need your help with -**

* * *

**1. I can't keep the name of the original book. It's based off of a song, and I'm almost positive that you cannot do that without running into complicated legal issues. _Do any of you have some suggestions for a new title?_ It would be so nice if you could help me out.**

**2. I'm afraid that if it does get published (**_**if**_**), I'll have to tear this story and the prequel down from fanfiction. I'm not sure how I feel about that. How do you guys feel about that? It's kind of… sad. We've been with each other for so long! **

**3. If you respond with a title suggestion and your feelings - or at least one of them - I'll give you a little shout out in the next chapter or something. I came to you guys first because you guys are the reason this story is where it is! It wouldn't exist without you guys. So, thanks for that.**

**4. I think I need some more test readers of the entire story. I'll probably pick a few of you to read it, maybe. When I say a few, I mean about two or three (if that).**

* * *

**The next update will be soon. I promise. I'm going to Nashville this weekend, so I'll probably write while I'm there. I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and I'm really sorry to be "updating" without an actual update! I hate when writer's post all of these author's notes all the time, so I feel your pain.**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley. **


	19. Backwards

**Happy New Years! Or, Eve, at least. I have a few more about ten more hours. I'm debating whether or not I should get all dolled up to go to my neighbor's house. I guess I'll figure it out after posting this chapter? ;)**

**Thanks for all the feedback on my little author's note - which I'm going to go ahead and delete. Someone suggested What We Wanted, which I think is a really cute title. I think it kind of works, you know? I want to keep this one, but I didn't come up with it. As for if I did get published… I'd finish out this story more than likely, and keep you all updated. BUT we'll cross that bridge when/if we get there. (:**

**Enjoy!**

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_BPOV_

It was decided that I would not go to school.

Knowing that I wouldn't be going to college like the rest of my friends upset me a little. It would be nice to get the full experience of the campus and classes, and, maybe in another life, I would have taken that road instead of this one.

I'm not bitter, and _definitely _not regretful. I love Aveline with all of my heart, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I love this new baby too. The one inside of my belly… the one we hadn't planned for. Hearing the words "you're pregnant" was for sure a shocker. Looking back at it, I can't even begin to pinpoint the emotions spinning around in my head.

Fear. Confusion. Shock. It took a little while for it to sink it. Of course once it did sink in, I felt the same I felt for Aveline for this new baby.

I'm not sure how Edward and I are going to go about telling everyone about this. His parents are more understanding, but… _still_. Two kids while we're still teenagers! Edward turns nineteen in a week or so, and I turn nineteen in September, but we'll be teen parents with two babies by next February.

And my dad. He handled the planned pregnancy with Aveline so terribly that it scared me to even begin to think about how awful this one could end. Anything could happen.

I was sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the wall when Edward walked in. Not my boyfriend anymore, but my fiancé. I knew that it was going to happen, but I still didn't expect it when it came. Maybe he didn't either. Maybe he was planning on asking me another way - possibly at dinner that night.

When we told everyone about the accident, they all insisted on rushing down to the hospital in Seattle. Edward told them that the two of us were fine - a few bruises and breaks for me (I have to wrap my chest in horrible gauze for the next few weeks), but nothing but a scratch for Aveline. He left about the part about the other baby, and we hid the engagement rings when we got home. We wanted to tell the entire family at the same time.

"Hey." He said with a smile on his face. He had just gotten out of the shower since we had run his usual eight miles earlier today. I scooted over to make room for him.

"Hi." I said softly.

Edward tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and kissed the side of my head. I rested my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes while he hummed a haunting lullaby. I opened my eyes and grabbed his hand, tracing my fingers from his elbow to his hand.

"How are we going to do this?" I whispered.

"Do what?" He asked me, as though not paying attention.

"Tell them." I said like it was an obvious statement.

"About what?" Edward paused for a moment. "The proposal or the baby?" We both looked at each other for a moment then started laughing, because we both know that we were doing this whole thing backwards.

"Both." I shrugged my shoulders a little bit.

"Well," he grabbed my hand that was continually running up and down his arm and intertwined our fingers together, "I think that we should just wing it. You know, just have a big dinner with everyone, and let it all out."

"You make that sound so _easy_."

He kissed the tip of my nose. "That's the point, love."

"Oh." I sighed. "But when?"

"How about tonight?"

"Tonight?!" I exclaimed as soon the words left his mouth. "Edward, be serious. We can't tell them tonight!"

"Counting today, we leave in three days for Seattle. Three." He held up three fingers for epenthesis. "I think that tonight is the best night to do it."

I crossed my arms and sat there stubbornly for a moment. I didn't think that I was ready to tell them tonight. How could I explain something to people I love when I didn't even know where to begin? This is so insane and ridiculous - I know I just had a baby under a year ago, but I'm having another one, oh yeah, and I'm getting married! Could I really expect a congratulations for that?

I let out a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair.

But it was the best time to tell them. We had already waited long enough. It was now or never. I looked up at Edward and sighed again. "You call my dad and let your mom know while I start getting ready…"

Edward smiled and kissed the top of my head. "That's my girl. I love you."

"Of course you do. We're getting married." I said with a little less sarcasm that I had intended. He laughed nonetheless, kissed me again, and left.

I stood up and stretched my arms. I looked in the mirror and pulled up my shirt. There were stretch marks all over my porcelain pale skin that I wouldn't have time to get rid of before this next baby comes.

I didn't want to think about the weight gain, or the aching feet, or the morning sickness. I shook my head and walked over to Aveline who was staring up at me in her crib. She squealed when she saw me, and when I picked her up, she immediately started pulling on my hair.

"Ow. No, no." I said as I pried her hands away from my hair as walked into the bathroom. I bathed her quickly, then brought her back into our bedroom in her little frog towel. I rubbed lotion on her skin, put a diaper on her, and pulled out a cute little summer dress for her to wear - sleeveless and a pretty light blue with flowers on the chest. I also put a head wrap around her head, a white one that Alice had picked out for her. "There we go." I said and smiled, then put her on the floor, where she crawled around and played with one of her toys.

Now for me. I walked over to the closet and looked for something to wear, not that I had much. My eyes scanned over the rack of clothes again and again until I found something decent - a short sleeved, loose fitting, floral dress that went down to about mid thigh.

"It'll work." I said, and yanked it off the hanger. I quickly shrugged into it, started running my fingers through my hair. I didn't feel like touching a flat iron, or even any hair spray, so I pulled it back into a low side ponytail and let my side bangs fall.

I looked over at the clock. All of that had taken half an hour and Edward was no where to be found. I picked up Aveline and wandered downstairs, where the smell of season chicken was coming from. My god, I was going to miss her cooking.

Esme was standing in the kitchen over the stove, sautéing some onions and peppers in a rich and creamy garlic sauce.

"That smells great." I commented.

"Thank you, Bella." She looked over at me and smiled. "Well, don't you two look nice! Especially Miss Aveline."

"Thank you." My cheeks burned bright red. "Do you know where Edward is?"

"Gosh, I was supposed to tell you. He ran out to pick your dad up from work. Something about all of the police cars being out for the time being." Esme shrugged. "The two of them should be here any minute now."

"Okay, sounds good… is there anything I can do to help you with?"

She thought for a moment. "You can set the table with the good plates. You know, the golden ones."

I put Aveline in her high chair while I stood on my tiptoes and pulled the plates out the top cabinet and brought them into the dining room. I set the table slowly and thought about how we were going to do this. _Hey, guys. We have an announcement to make. I'm pregnant! _No, no… that was too blunt. _We have an announcement to make - I know you probably all saw this coming, but we're getting married! _That just didn't sound right.

My train of thought was taken by surprise when I heard a car pulling into the driveway. I peeked out the window and saw Edward in the driver's seat with my dad by his side.

I quickly finished with the plates, then ran over to get Aveline from her highchair, and met Edward and my dad at the front door.

My dad, who was still wearing his uniform, smiled behind his unshaved facial hair. I decided not to tell him about mom in the mental facility - they called him anyway and told him the news. He was extremely worried about the entire thing, and the huge accident I was in has had him on edge ever since. I'm happy that he learned about my mom being safe and away from us in the facility… maybe now his nerves will settle down.

"Dad!" I said, and kissed him on the cheek. He gave me an awkward one armed hugged and took Aveline from me.

"How's my little Aveline doing?" She reached out to grab his nose and the three of us all laughed. "How about you Bells?"

"Never better." I smiled as Edward grabbed my hand.

We all walked into the kitchen, and the rest of the Cullen's were in there. Esme smiled, Carlisle shook my dad's hand, and Alice bounded over to take her turn on holding Aveline. She loves holding the baby and always knows when it's her turn to hold her. Everyone talked in the kitchen until dinner was ready. I felt my heart beating faster and faster as the seconds passed. The moment was coming.

Esme made a fantastic dinner for all of us - baked chicken, homemade rolls, and a fantastic dish of sautéed onions, peppers, and stuffed mushrooms. I made my plate and stuffed my face with a bunch of food so I wouldn't have to talk.

"Hungry much?" Alice commented as I shoved another forkful of spicy peppers, which I was never a fan of, into my mouth. She laughed. "I haven't seen you eat so much since you were pregnant with Aveline!"

I froze for a moment and tried not to look suspicious, then started laughing with everyone else.

It was time for dessert, and Esme brought out a huge cake she had made. She always goes over the top when people come over for dinner… even if it's just my dad. While she cut the cake, Edward grabbed my hand underneath the table and casually slipped the ring back onto my finger.

Oh, God. This is it.

He then cleared his through and everyone looked up at him. "I have something that I'd like to say." Edward said. All eyes were on him. Nobody looked at me. I was thankful for that. "I'm happy to say that Bella and I will be getting married soon!"

Everyone started clapping - except for Esme, who burst into tears. My dad put his hand on Edward's shoulder, and Alice ran over to see the ring. She grabbed my left hand, and I wiggled my ring finger.

"My God. That's gorgeous. Edward, _nice job_. And I didn't even help you! Mom, come and see the ring. It's beautiful!" She called her over, and the two of them stared in awe at the rock on my finger. I smiled and thanked them.

"Will the wedding be in Seattle, or here?"

"Here, of course." My dad said.

"What about the dress? How can I go dress shopping with you if I'm here and you're there? And Rose! We have to tell Rosalie!" Alice went on and on. Esme even joined in the madness, while Carlisle and my dad congratulated the two of us to no end.

"Guys, please, just hold on a second." I pleaded with them. "We have something else to say."

The entire table silenced. I looked over at Edward for help, but he merely shook his head. I stepped on his foot under the table before I began. "Well, you see… when I got in the accident, they ran a few tests… and, um, they found out that I'm going to have another baby…"

Everyone looked at us. I couldn't tell what their expression was. There was no expression. Not even on my father's face.

It was Alice who finally said something. "My God, you're some kind of baby making machine."

We all started laughing. Laughing! That was not was I was expecting to happen. I was expecting some kind of long lecture and yelling and another fallout. They all looked… happy. I looked over at Edward and smiled.

"You guys aren't mad?"

Esme's face softened. "I think you guys have it figured out. You're young… but… you've done it once. You can do it again." Carlisle looked at his wife and smiled.

"Dad?"

He sighed. "Hey, it's your life, not mine. I would have waited a few years… like ten…." He rolled his eyes jokingly. "But, I don't have to change any diapers. It's all on you."

"Wow. Eighteen years old and I'm going to have two nieces!"

"Imagine how I feel! And what makes you think he's going to be a she?" I asked.

"Well, you apparently think she's a he!"

"I never said that."

"You implied it!"

"Okay!" My dad interrupted. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some cake. Esme, could you please pass me a slice? A big one, too, if you don't mind. I love your cooking."

We finished our dinner, and everyone was in a surprisingly good mood. I figured that the long talk with Edward's parents would be coming soon. Maybe even with my dad. I was right about the one with my dad - when he was about to leave for the night, he pulled me onto the front porch to talk… alone.

Aveline was in my arms. My beautiful little girl. She yawned sleepily and rested her head against my chest while I stood face-to-face with my father. I'm ready for whatever it is he has to say.

"Bella." He said simply.

"You are mad, aren't you?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not mad at you. I said it once, Bells. This is your life. You're done with high school, you haven't lived with me for almost a year now… I mean, for God's sake, you're getting married!" He laughed uneasily. "I just want you to know that this is going to be a huge responsibility."

"I know it is."

"It's going to interfere with a lot of things, you know that, right?"

"Obviously. I can't go to school, and I can't get a job. We're going to have problems with money, and I know that the two of us are going to so stressed out." I bit my quivering lip. I don't like thinking about these kinds of things, let alone talk about them.

"Yeah, there are going to be a lot of problems. It's going to be hard on you two. I'm not going to lie. You're so young and know so little." It sounded like an insult, but I didn't take it that way. "Don't get too stressed out about it. I know you guys can make it through… this."

"How can I not get stressed out?"

"When you were little you used to write in this little journal we gave you. You would vent in it all the time. I don't you know if you do that anymore." My dad laughed. "Maybe you could write a book or something. You're a pretty good writer."

I sighed. "Thanks, dad. Good talk."

He smiled. "Good talk. Promise to call me more when you're in Seattle, though. Okay?"

"I promise."

My dad and I stepped back inside, and he said goodbye to the Cullen's. Strange to think that in a few months, I'll be one of them too. Then again, I've felt like one of them from the start.

Edward, Aveline, and I all waved goodbye to him from the window and watched as he disappeared down the street. Today went better than I had planned - they all seemed to react fairly well to the news of the marriage and the new baby.

Now we just have to live out whatever the hell it is life has planned for us.

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**Happy New Years! What do you have planned tonight?  
You guys are all great. I'm one review away from three hundred. And did you know that almost 100,000 people have read PTRATTS?! That's just so insane to me. I freaked when I saw that. ****Follow me on twitter? (halleybrown13). **

**Enjoy 2013! I have big plans for this year. I hope that you guys do too. **

**Xoxo,  
****Halley**


	20. Hellos & Goodbyes

**Over 300 reviews now/ Did you know that? I'm really happy now. Not just because of that, but because my manuscript for the non-fanfiction version of PTRATTS came in the mail on Friday! A ton of people are asking to read it. I have to edit it again, then send it off to a literary agent (I don't think I want to self publish). I want to give a quick shout-out to TwilightxHPotterxPJackson for being so sweet and reading a lot of my stuff. Go check out her profile. There's a link to her **_**amazing **_**vlogs where she speaks in her British accent (sorry, I'm American, and I think British accents are great).**

**You may recognize this chapter a bit, and that's because I yanked some of them from a story I started to write, but I'm on break from now. **

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_BPOV_

"Well, I think that's the last of it." Edward said as we put the last of our bags into the back of his Volvo. I was surprised that it all fit, but, then again, this was only our clothes and most of Aveline's things. The furniture was already on it's way to the apartment.

Today is moving day for the three of us. After spending our entire lives in the small town of Forks, Washington, we're off to the big city of Seattle.

This is the place that I had grown to know and love. While I hated the trees and green foliage as a kid, I couldn't imagine living without it. I was so used to waking up to the dreary, cloudy skies, and looking out my window to see trees, grass, and a cover of clouds and rain. I'll admit that it'll be strange getting used to the city, even if it is everything I've ever dreamed of.

I nodded my head, and shoved my hands into the pockets of my denim shorts. "I guess this is it then."

The entire Cullen family, and my dad, stood in front of the car. Elissia was holding onto baby Aveline, refusing to let her go. They had helped us pack everything into the small, silver Volvo. Now that everything was done, we all stood there staring at each other. Nobody wanted to say goodbye.

"I just can't believe my baby is going off to college." Esme said, breaking the silence. I looked over at Edward from the corner of my eye, and his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

"Mom…" Edward dragged out her name.

"It's a big accomplishment." Carlisle added, only deepening Edward's embarrassment.

I grabbed his arm and stood on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "I'm going to go talk to my dad for a minute. Go say bye to your mom before she runs over here and attacks you with her hugs."

He laughed, and we parted ways to talk to our parents.

My dad cleared his throat when I walked up to him. It took us a moment to finally speak - my father has never been a many of many words when it comes to his emotions. And yet, the rims of his eyes looking red and watery. "Well, I guess this is it, Bells."

I nodded and, without even thinking about it, ran into his arms. He pulled me close to him, like he was never going to let go.

"I'm going to miss you, daddy." I whimpered, fighting back tears.

My dad and I have had our fair share of disagreements - the main one being the pregnancy with Aveline. But that argument taught me a lesson. It taught me that love can shine through even the darkest of darks. My decision to forgive my father for abandoning me was because of love, as was his decision to forgive me.

"Don't get all worked up over me." He squeezed me tightly one more time before pulling away. "Just promise me that you're going to take care of yourself. Living by yourself is a big step, especially at such a young age."

"And with another baby on the way." I managed to get out.

"Especially with another baby on the way." My dad kissed the top of my head and hugged me again. "I want you to call me every chance you get. And you're required to come down here at least once a month."

"Okay, daddy." I said into his chest.

He patted my back before he pulled away. "You better get on the road. You've got a long drive ahead of you."

I looked at my dad and laughed breathlessly under my breath. Even at times like this, he's still the same, overprotective father he's always been.

"Alright, dad." I told him. "I guess… I'll see you later, then."

As soon as I took a step back from my father, I was bombarded by the biggest hug from the tiniest person I knew. Her arms were tight around me, and while she said nothing, I knew exactly what she was telling me.

It took me a minute to realize that she was crying. Her crying set off my crying, and before I knew it, we were standing there in each other's embrace. I looked up at her after a long hug and smiled behind my tears.

"Bella… what am I going to do without you?" Alice cried.

"You're going to go to college, and you're going to have one hell of a time." We both laughed through our tears.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to stay at home with my babies." I smiled, and patted my stomach.

"You did it." She finally said after a long moment.

"Did what?"

"Everything you ever wanted. You have my brother, and the baby that you both wanted. I'm so proud of you for that. You stayed strong when everything else failed."

"Alice…" My voice cracked.

"No." Tears were streaming down her face now. "You know that it's true. I wanted you to know that. And I want you to be proud of yourself too."

There were no words. I burst into tears, and pulled my best friend back into my arms. I could care less that her tears were pooling onto my shirt, or that we were both crying irrationally. Alice always has been, and always will be, my best friend.

Esme was just as hard to say goodbye to, if not harder. She's practically my mom. I felt my heart break when she pulled me into her motherly embrace, and kissed my cheek. I told her that I loved her, and she said that she loved me too. The thought of being without her seemed unreal. I couldn't even begin to imagine living without her.

When I finally made it back to Edward, who had just buckled Aveline into her car seat, we stood in front of everyone and smiled, hand in hand. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "Bye, guys." I said shakily.

They all waved at us. I could have stood there for forever remembering all of the memories that each of us shared. _Pretty Little Liars _with Alice; cooking with Esme; long talks with Carlisle; coping with my dad….

Edward pulled me away from my seemingly frozen state. I yanked open the car door and pulled myself into the passenger's seat. Everyone took a step forward, and watched as we backed the car out of the driveway. As I took one last look at my father, I saw him wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Oh, dad…" I said to myself, as a tear escaped from my eye.

We drove in silence for what seemed like forever. I stared at the window and watched as my home flew past me. I would miss the trees more than a thought I would. Edward was quiet, too. Ever so often, I glanced over at him. His green eyes were focused on the road, and his grip on the steering wheel was stiff.

After a while, I put my hand on his shoulder and rubbed it slowly. He always goes of his way to make me feeling better. I took advantage of the chance to make _him _feel better. Edward looked over at me and half smiled.

"You okay?" I asked.

"'Course." He said. "What about you?"

I shrugged. "It's a lot to take in but - " I shook my head, "I'm excited."

Aveline started playing with one of her toys in the back seat. It chimed like a chorus of tiny silver bells when she shook it, and every time she did it, she burst into a fit of laugher. I twisted my body to look over at her, and smiled at how adorable she looked.

She's nearing seven months now, which is almost impossible for me to believe. I feel like just yesterday we were in the hospital looking at her for the first time. Now she looks so much bigger. She has a full head of dark brown hair, which is fairly long for a baby. Her skin is just as pale as mine, but her eyes are just as beautiful as her father's - they sparkle an emerald green, and only brighten as the days go by.

"What have you got there?" I asked her.

She kicked her legs and dropped her toy on the chair. Her little arms extended towards me like she wanted to be held. I reached back and wiggled her toes with the tip of my fingers. Aveline laughed and curled her legs towards her, and put her fingers in her mouth.

I laughed and sat back up in my chair.

"She looks more and more like you every day." Edward said.

"Really?" I looked at her in the rear-view mirror. "I don't think she looks that much like me."

"Just wait. By the time she's two, she's going to look like you a mini-you."

"I'll hold you up to that. But we do have another year and a half until we're ready for that." I reminded him and leaned back in my seat. We were both quiet for a moment. "Can you believe that we're going to have another baby? Thank God we have an apartment with three bedrooms."

"I honestly can't." He shook his head, then reached over for my hand. He have it a gently squeeze before he spoke again. "We're just going to be one big happy family, aren't we?" A smile played upon his lips.

I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "At that we are."

An hour later, we were in Seattle. Given some time to get used to the idea that Forks was something of the past, I was able to welcome to city with a warm heart. Once again, my eyes were glued to the window. I stared at the traffic lights, and busy streets in fascination. This is really where we would be living.

Edward pulled into the parking lot for the apartment complex. He turned off the engine and looked over me and smiled. "Here it goes."

"We can do this." I told him, and smiled back. "Come on. Let's go move in."

So it would be easier for me to carry things upstairs, I put Aveline in a baby pouch, and carried as much as I possibly could in my hands. It was a little difficult with her being so close to me, but it was much easier now that both of my hands were free.

Edward brought of most of the stuff. He got two suitcases, and two duffle bags, while I slung Aveline's diaper bags (which were filled with clothes, diapers, bottles, toys, and formula) over my shoulders.

We took the elevator up to the sixth floor, and hurried to the apartment so we could drop everything off. I dropped everything on the carpet and stretched my arms out. Aveline grabbed my arm, and tried to put it in her mouth.

"No." I said, and pulled it back. She started screaming, and I looked over at Edward in desperation. "Can you please get her toy? The one with the bells in it." He looked in the diaper bag for it, but it wasn't there. "Oh. It's in the car. Do you mind getting it for me?"

He sighed. "Of course not. I'll be back."

I tried to feed her while Edward was gone, but she obviously wasn't hungry. I bounced her up and down until he got back, and when he did, I gave her the toy, which immediately silenced her cries. I took Aveline out of the baby carrier, and put her on the floor. She clutched the toy in her hand and crawled around the floor.

"When is the furniture coming in?" I asked.

"In about twenty minutes." Edward said, and walked over to me. He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. I head into him, and closed my eyes for a while before I looked up at him.

"Welcome home." I whispered to him.

"I'm glad to be home." He whispered and kissed my softly.

There was a small knock on the door. I frowned, upset that our moment was ruined. Edward chuckled, and kissed me once more before he went to open the door. I followed shortly behind him.

There was a guy standing on the other side. He was extraordinarily tall - towering over Edward's height of six foot - with tan skin. His small eyes were just as dark as his hair was, and he smiled with his hands in the pockets of his shorts.

"Are you guys the new neighbors?" He asked in a husky voice.

"Yeah." Edward said, and introduced us. "I'm Edward, and this is my finance, Bella. Our daughter, Aveline, is inside."

The guy nodded. "I'm Jacob. Just thought that I'd come over and say hi. If you need anything, I'm just down the hall." Jacob smiled at us.

"That was nice of you to stop by." I smiled and ran my hands through my knotted hair.

"No problem. I'll see you guys around then."

Edward and I both waved goodbye to Jacob, and closed the door. I had a feeling this was going to be a nice place to live - fifteen minutes of us being here and we already have people stopping by.

"I'm going to go clean myself up before the movers get here." I told Edward and excused myself to the master bathroom.

I pulled my brush out of my bag, and combed through all of the knots in my hair. The brush pulled against my scalp, and while I'm not one to be tender headed, it hurt. Once it was tangle free, I piled it all onto my head and tied it into a messy bun. After that, I splashed my face with cold water. Because we had no towels, I had to dry my face on the shoulder of my shirt.

Feeling a bit more refreshed, I wandered back to Edward.

"Hey, the movers are here now. I'm going to go down and help. Stay up here with Aveline." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, then ran out.

I sat on the floor and watched as Aveline explored the apartment. She zoomed across the empty carpet like a race car. I smiled when I realized she still had her toy in her hand. While I watched her, I pulled out my phone and sent a few texts.

_Hey. We're at the apartment now, and we're doing great. The movers are here and we're getting all of the furniture inside. I miss you, and I'll see you soon. Love you. _I sent that to my dad, and the entire Cullen family.

I pulled up a new contact next, and typed a new message. _I haven't talked to you in forever. Just thought I'd let you know that Edward, Aveline, and I are in Seattle right now. We're moving into the new apartment. We should all hang out sometime. _I sent that to our only friends in this big city - Violet.

She responded almost immediately. _Sounds great! What about tonight? Seth has been dying for a new playmate. _

I checked the time. We would have time to hang out with them for a little bit. It shouldn't take that long for them to bring in what little furniture we had. There was the bed, and dressers, then Aveline's crib and her dresser. We rescued an couch from being thrown out, and we bought a new kitchen table. Furniture shopping was next on our list of things to do.

_Sounds like a plan. You guys can stop by at around seven or so. See you then. (:_

When Edward came back up, a line of movers were behind him carrying all of our furniture. I picked Aveline so she wouldn't be smashed by the heavy boxes. I stood by Edward and watched as they did their job.

"Violet and Dylan are going to stop by at around seven. Is that okay?"

"Of course." He put his arm around my waist and glanced around the apartment. "I'm sure they'd love to see our barely furnish home." He chuckled.

I stepped on his foot. "That just means that when they a second time, they can see what we've done with the place. And when you're at school and work, I'll have a lot of time on my hands. There's a lot of potential for this apartment."

"I think there is too." Edward looked at Aveline and smiled. "Are you sure that you're going to be alright all alone all day?"

"Yes. We're going to be perfectly fine." I reassured him. "Please don't worry about that."

"Seattle has terrible crime rates, you know…"

I sighed. "I'll lock the door. Happy?"

He looked as if he were going to say something, but he quickly closed his mouth.

We did our best to stay out of the way of all the movers. They job didn't take long - due to our lack of furniture. We gave them a little extra money to set up the furniture where we pleased, but they left all of the little boxes piled in the living room. Edward and I did our best to hang up all the pictures and put the books on shelves, but Aveline had other plans. She took things out of the boxes, and brought them on the other side of the room. We decided that we'd finish packing once she was in bed.

Edward and I both sat on the floor and played silly games with Aveline.

I put her on her back and crept my fingers onto her little belly. She looked at with wide green eyes. "Uh-oh. I'm gonna get you." I said. "I'm gonna get you!" I said again, and started tickling her. She laughed loudly. I gave her a minute to catch her breath before I started it again - this time, she laughed even more I tickled her.

After some time with that, I lay in front of her, both of us on our stomachs. I put my hand to my chest, and said, "Mommy. Can you say mommy?". She stared at me, and reached for my hair. I untangled her fingers from my hair and pointed to myself again. "No, no. Mommy. Say mommy."

Just then, Edward came up behind her, and picked her up… _upside down._ I nearly had a heartache while I watched him flip her back around. He put her up in the air, and brought her back down, like she was an airplane.

She squealed every time he brought her back up in the air.

"Edward… be careful…"

He looked over at me. "I promise, I am. I'm not going to drop her."

"I know, but, remember, she's only a baby."

"Do you trust me?" He asked, looking up at Aveline, who was laughing her little head off. She looked like she was having a great time.

"Yes, Edward - "

He brought her back down, and held her in his arms. Edward took a step towards me and looked at me in the eye. "Then there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Just trust that I'm not going to drop her."

"You… you're right." I nodded my head. "You're not going to drop her."

The two of us continued to play with her until there was another knock on the door. I checked the time - it was exactly seven o'clock. Edward was holding Aveline, so I answered this time.

Violet and Dylan were standing there with a baby in a stroller. I hardly even recognized Seth now. He looked so much bigger, and so much like his mom. Violet smiled, and ran over to pull me into a welcoming hug. Dylan stepped in, holding a box of pizza, and a bottle of soda.

After a long hug, Violet pulled the stroller out of the doorway, and shut the door.

"I haven't seen you guys in _forever_." She said excitedly. I was a bit taken back at how enthusiastic she was. Violet is usually more quiet and reserved.

I smiled. "I know! How have you guys been?"

"We've been great. Dylan is starting college in the fall - "

"Edward too."

She smiled. "Maybe they'll have some classes together. But I'm staying home with Seth."

"That's really funny. I'm staying home with Aveline too." We both laughed. "I guess we'll have to hang out while we're both alone all day, won't we?"

Violet nodded. "For sure. Taking care of a baby is always easier with two people."

"And so is planning a wedding." I held up my ring finger.

"You're kidding!" She gasped and carefully took my hand to look at the ring. Her voice dropped, and I saw her eyes light up. "My, God. That's beautiful."

"Did I hear something about a wedding?" Dylan called from across the room. He and Edward were sitting on the couch. The pizza box was open, and the two of them were already eating. Violet and I both joined them, and put both of the babies in front of us. They played together quietly with all of Aveline's toys.

"They're getting married." Violet said.

Dylan smiled. "Wow! Congratulations. When's the wedding?"

"We haven't planned anything yet." Edward said., but smiled. "Sometime soon."

Sometime soon - that was all I could ask for.

Talking with Violet and Dylan made me feel comfortable. Knowing someone in this enormous city gave me hope. There's another couple just like us - another couple who knows what we're going through… another couple who understands.

It felt like home already.

* * *

**The end of that chapter was so abrupt. Not my best. (Not my best chapter overall). I'm being nagged at to get off the computer, and I was determined to finish! I hope that you liked it, and please review! Check out my new story On This Road, which will be updated tonight. **

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**


	21. Keep Your Family Close

**Hello! Hope you're enjoying 2013 so far! Thought I'd let you guys know that I plan on sending PTRATTS off on February 13****th**** so a few agents. I'll keep you all updated. I have two names that I can't decide on. Either What We Wanted or A Mind Like Mine (our Ours). They were suggested by you guys, and I actually really like them! (:**

**This chapter is fairly short. It's a happy-cute chapter. I needed a break from writing something dark because my newest story, On This Road, is very… morbid. It's about all this abuse and rape and stuff, and it's really sad. ): **

* * *

_BPOV_

Edward and I have a bit of extra money saved up for things like furniture, which proved to be a necessity. After only three days of living with the little furniture we had, we both agreed that it wasn't working well. The apartment seemed so empty and lifeless without it.

On that Saturday, we decided that we would go shopping for the day.

When Aveline woke us up at seven, we both crawled out of the bed. Edward got her out of her crib, and brought her into the living room while I started on breakfast. He turned the television to one of those baby channels. She sat on the floor and stared up at the moving pictures in awe.

"So, what's the agenda?" Edward asked me as I put bread into the toaster.

"Can you get the butter?" I asked, while he did that for me, I spoke. "Well, I was thinking that we could go to some furniture stores. But not the big ones. There are a few small, cheap stores on the outskirts of town." I poured a cup of coffee for Edward, and tea for myself. "And Aveline is growing out of all of her clothes, so maybe we could hit Target and get some clothes for her?"

"Sounds like a crazy day."

"Of course it does." I smiled, and handed him his cup.

After breakfast, we took turns showering so that Aveline wouldn't left by herself. I took an extra five minutes in the hot water, trying to feel for my baby bump. My stomach felt hard, and there was just barely a bump. I smiled.

Once that was taken care of, I pulled a white shirt over my head, and shrugged into my jeans. They rested on my hips just fine, and I was happy for that. These are my favorite pair, and I haven't been able to wear them in ages because of the pregnancy and the time it took to lose the weight afterwards.

Edward and I bathed Aveline together, which I know she didn't like. She cried and thrashed until we finished. Edward held her in a soft, yellow towel while I raced into the bedroom to get her clothes for the day - a pair of denim shorts, white sandals, and a short sleeved creamy shirt.

By the time I had come back, Edward was slowly putting a diaper on her. I stood over his shoulder and watched as he did it. I'm usually the one who changes diapers, so it's funny to watch him give it a go.

"Here, let me do it." I said when he still hadn't gotten it. I put it on, and dressed her.

"I'm so terrible at that." He admitted.

"You really are." I laughed, and kissed him. "But, I love you anyway."

We packed the diaper bag, then we were ready to go. I put Aveline in her car seat and gave her a toy, then hopped into the passenger seat. Edward drove, and I read the directions off to him, since most of the shops weren't in a central location.

We were in agreement that we needed a computer desk, a chair, a coffee table, and maybe another couch of some sort. Our budget was fairly low. This shopping trip was going to burn a hole in our pocket.

The shop was about twenty minutes away from the apartment. It sat by the water, and was covered in white paneling. The roof was a fade blue, and there were wooden steps leading up to the paint chipped door. It looked welcoming.

Edward put Aveline in the stroller, and pushed it into the door. The little bell chimed, and I looked around at all of the antiques in fascination. A woman walked over to the three of us and smiled. She wore her fiery red hair in a messy bun on her pale head.

"Hi! Can I help you guys with anything?" She looked over at Edward, then back to me.

"My fiancé and I were just looking for furniture for our new apartment." He smiled proudly.

"Oh. Alright. Well, if you need anything, then just holler." She said, and walked away.

I grabbed Edward's arm with my hand and we slowly walked around the little store together. I saw a lot of little things that I liked - some small clocks, mason jars, and even some paintings. I promised myself that once we had more money saved up, I would come back for them.

It was the same in every store that we went into. I was, of course, infatuated with the vintage feel of everything. It was hard for me to focus on what we had come for when there was a 1930's typewriter in front of my face.

But, we managed. We picked out a beautiful blue loveseat at one store then at the next, a nice bookshelf with a hideous paint job at the next (which was an easy fix). We also got an old, wooden coffee table and the chairs we had been hoping for. The computer desk was hard to find at these kind of stores. Most of the ones we found were _extremely_ overpriced. And while it took a while, we eventually did find one.

Luckily for us, all of the shops said that they would deliver to the apartment within the next few days. For an additional charge, of course, but it was the only way to get all of the stuff to our home.

I was dead on my feet by the time we got to Target, and Aveline was beginning to fuss in the backseat. She'd been determined to stay awake the entire trip, but I could now see her eyelids getting heavy.

Instead of putting her in the stroller, I held her. She always seems more calm in our arms than in her stroller, and the last thing we need is a baby screaming throughout Target.

Edward and I walked straight to the baby section, and started looking at all of the clothes. There were bottles, baby food, shoes, socks - and condoms. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing at the irony of that.

Edward and I picked out a couple of different shirts for her, alongside some shoes, and little dresses. There wasn't much to pick from, but it was one of the cheaper options for buying clothes. Even if they have more variety than Target, Babies R' Us is over our budget.

After throwing all of the baby stuff in the cart, we wandered towards the books. After some research by myself, I had learned that stimulating a baby is a really good idea - showing them some television, and even books. I skimmed over the little picture books they had to offer.

A woman standing next to, looked over and smile. "You're little sister looks just like the two of you." She commented, looking at both Edward and myself. "You guys are such good brother and sister. I couldn't get my kids do take their baby sister out to Target."

I opened my mouth to correct her, but nothing came out. I looked over at Edward, who looked jut as surprised as I did. Even if I had wanted to say something, I couldn't have, because she walked away without another word.

"Oh my god." I said once she was out of sight. "I didn't know I was engaged to my brother."

"And that I'm somehow the father of my little sister."

"Dammit. I guess we should have looked at our family history first." I said, laughing. He laughed too, then leaned down to kiss me softly on the lips. My cheeks flushed red, and we continued shopping at Target.

* * *

"Edward, you _can't be serious_." I said one week later. The furniture had been delivered to our house a few days ago, and the place was really beginning to come together. I would start painting sometime soon, and once we had the money, revisit all of the antique stores.

He was standing in the doorway, his arms full. I stood a good five feet away with my arms crossed around my chest.

"Bella, please."

"There's no way that this going to work."

"I know that it seems a little crazy," He paused for a moment, "But it's going to give me some reassurance with you guys alone at home all day."

I cocked my head to the side. "How is that going to 'protect us'?"

"Well, by the time I start classes in a month or so, this little guy will be a little older." A smile played on his lips as he adjusting the tiny thing in his arms. Even now, I could tell that it wouldn't grow to be _that_ big. Twenty pounds, maybe. If that.

"Really, Edward?" I asked again. "A puppy?"

"Come on. You have to admit, it's a cute dog."

I walked towards him, and he handed the puppy to me. "Yeah, almost as cute as the _baby_ we already have. And the other one that's on the way." The dog scaled up my chest, and nestled its head into my neck. The poor thing shook in my arms, and it's heart beat erratically against me.

"That's the point." Edward explained. "Dogs aren't too high maintenance, especially not this breed. And now you'll at least be a little safer."

I sighed. "I still wish that you would have talked to me about this first instead of going out and buying a puppy."

"They were practically giving them away. And all the dogs came with food, and some toys." He nodded towards the pile of dog stuff in the corner.

I didn't answer him. I pulled the dog away from my chest so that I could study her face. Her snout was very dark, and the black continued to run down her back, and up her slightly curled tail. Her body was long, but pudgy, and all but two of her paws were white. Her face was the cutest - big brown eyes, and an adorable wrinkled face made my heart melt just looking at her.

"She's a girl, right?" I asked as I checked.

"Yup."

I laughed. "You better hope that this baby is a boy, or you're going to be surrounded by girls."

"You know that I wouldn't mind that." He winked, and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. The puppy squirmed out of my arms, and started running around the house like a monkey on fire. I watched as the stupid dog ran into a wall, and started pawing at the carpet.

Almost as if on cue, Aveline started crying from her bedroom. She had woken up from her nap an hour earlier than usual. I looked at Edward and sighed before I walked into our princesses bedroom.

She was standing in her crib, her little fingers gripped onto the edge. When she saw me, she bounced a little, and her cries quieted. I smiled, and ran over to her, swinging her out of the crib and into my arms.

"Good morning, sweetheart." I said, and kissed her on the cheek. She put her hand over my nose and smiled toothlessly. Once I had finished changing her diaper, I put her down on the floor, and she quickly crawled into the living room.

When Aveline saw the puppy, she stopped in mid-crawl, and sat down. The dog ran over to her and walked in circles around her. Aveline laughed as the dog licked her arm playfully and lay next to her. She put her hand on its back and, in her mind, patted him softly. Though soft to her was fairly hard, and the dog jumped up and went in the opposite direction.

Aveline quickly lost interest, and picked up one of her toys instead.

I wrapped my arms around Edward's neck, and with my body twisted to the side, looked over at our baby. His arms snaked around my waist, and he held me close. I glanced over at him with peripheral vision. He smiled with his eyes.

"I love you." I said quietly.

"I love you." He said, and brought his lips to mine.

* * *

**A PUPPY! Yeah. I've had that planned ever since I started this story. Why not add to the chaos of Edward and Bella's life? Well, I hope you liked it! Please review! And I'm really close to 500 reviews on PTRATTS, so if you want to help me get there… I'm fourteen away… ;)**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley.**


	22. Trails

**I realized that I messed up on the last chapter. In PTRATTS, Edward and Bella went and bought furniture for themselves when they lived in the guest house. That completely slipped my mind. (I think it's because that chapter got cut from the edited version of the story).**

**I'm so sorry for that slip up. I feel pretty stupid right now. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter! I hope that you like it. (:**

* * *

_BPOV_

"Three months along and perfectly healthy." The ultra-sound technician said to me. My arms were folded behind my head as I stared at the black screen. My little baby was in there - he was so tiny! Edward stood beside me with Aveline in his arms, and he too was smiling at the sonogram.

"That's your new little sister." I said to Aveline.

"Or brother." Edward added.

I didn't know if I wanted a boy or a girl yet. Another girl would be nice - Aveline would have a little sister to play dress up and dolls with. Then again, a boy would also be nice because we'd have another "man" in the house. But to be honest, I could care less about the gender. Either way, the baby is mine, and that's all that matters to me.

Aveline squirmed in Edward's arms and reached for the screen. A smile played on her lips, and she laughed loudly. I looked over at Edward, and smiled.

"So, there's nothing wrong with the baby?" I asked.

The ultra-sound technician shook her head. "No, not at all. Is there anything that you're worried about?"

It took me a minute to respond to her. These aren't things that I want to remember, let alone talk about. I took a deep breath, and explained. "When I was pregnant with her," I looked over at Aveline, "she had a twin, but I miscarried _one_ of the babies. Then towards the end of the pregnancy, she was breeched." I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I'm so paranoid. I just don't want any of that happening to this baby…:"

She smiled. "You're a mom. It's your job to be paranoid." The technician told us that we would keep a watchful eye out on the pregnancy just in case, but she assured me that the baby was perfectly healthy and happy.

As much as I wanted to believe her, I couldn't, and I was almost positive that the worry and fear was clearly written all over my face. Nonetheless, I thanked her, and the three of us walked out of the hospital room together.

"Where to?" Edward asked when we were in the waiting room.

"Home. I'm so exhausted right now. All I want to do is sleep." I frowned.

He kissed me on the cheek. "Well then let's get you home."

The drive back to the apartment was not as quiet as I had hoped for. The moment Edward put Aveline in her car seat, she started screaming. She screamed so loudly, that we got many looks from other people in the parking lot. He tried to calm her, but after standing there for ten minutes, his attempts were useless. The entire drive home, I reached my arm into the back seat and held onto her little foot.

Once we were parked, I forced myself out of the car, but by the time I had gotten to the backseat, Edward had already picked Aveline up. Her head was nestled against his shoulder, and crocodile tears fell down her tiny cheeks. My poor little baby.

"I think that someone needs a nap." Edward commented as we started for the elevator.

"That makes two of us."

He laughed, and pressed the button. "I think I'm going to go for a run while you guys rest then, if that's okay." The arrow lit up, and the doors open. We stepped inside, and he pressed the button to our floor.

I shrugged.

Edward studied my face as we smoothly rose up. He then smiled, and caressed my cheek with his free hand. "You really do look tired, love."

"I _am _tired."

The door opened, and we stepped out, slowly heading for our apartment. I fished the keys out of my purse and shoved them into the hole. After a minute of playing with it, the lock flipped, and the door opened.

Edward put Aveline straight into her crib, and I collapsed on the couch. Five minutes later, he was changed, and ready to run.

"I'm going on a long run, so I'll be back in a few hours." He kissed me on the forehead. "Get some sleep, sweetheart. You deserve it."

I watched as he walked out of the apartment, and once he slammed the door behind him, I close my eyes and finally began to relax. Sleep was just beginning to overcome me when I felt something wet and slimy licking my hand. I nearly screamed as I shot straight up, only to see that stupid dog staring at me with adorable puppy dogs eyes.

Damn dog.

I tried to ignore it, but it sat there and kept whining, and pawing at me. After fifteen minutes of putting up with the stupid thing, I reached down and picked her up. She immediately plopped down in-between me and the couch, and rested her tiny head on my chest.

I rubbed her head softly and closed my eyes, though as soon as I _stopped _petting her, she pawed at me again! The poor thing wanted my attention. I sighed heavily and brought the puppy onto my chest, resting both of my hands on her back. This seemed to satisfy her, and she dozed off.

If only I could do the same.

It took me a while, but, yes, eventually I did fall asleep. My dream was vivid - nightmarish, even. I hadn't had a nightmare so realistic since I was pregnant with Aveline. And even then, the dream was different from that pregnancy.

The dream was horrifying, but not in the scary movie way. In the "this could happen to me" way.

There I was, sitting in the bathtub. My stomach was big, much bigger than it is now - so big, in fact, that it protruded over the soapy bubbles of the bath. All of a sudden, the clear water turned red, and I screamed for Edward to come. _What's happening?!_ I asked him. _What are you talking about? That's our baby. _He told me before I started screaming.

I woke up startled, and scared. I gasped, and the puppy scrambled off of my chest and onto the floor. Her paws dug into the carpet, and she instantly began running in circles around the living room.

"Good God." I mumbled to myself, and ran my hands through my sweaty hair. Cleaning myself up before Aveline woke up sounded like a nice idea.

While I had planned on just splashing my face with water, I ended up taking a shower. That dream had screamed the living daylights out of me, and the hot water helped soothed my nerves.

What if I did lose this baby? I couldn't live that down. Losing my Olivia was already enough on my heart. I don't know how I would be able to cope with miscarrying another baby.

I put on a pair of underwear, and grabbed one of Edward's old, plaid shirts to wear. My damp hair dripped onto the shirt, but I didn't care. I ran my hands through it, and checked in on Aveline. She had been asleep for quite some time now. I quietly opened her door, and watched her from the doorway. Her chest rose up and down slowly with each breath, and I couldn't but think about how beautiful she looked.

Being careful not to wake her, I shut the door again. Just as it closed, the dog ran into my feet, and jumped up on my shins. I leaned down to pick her up and walked back into the living room. I sat on the couch and held the dog in my arms.

We've had her for a few days now, and she _still _has no name.

Feeling flustered, I turned on the television. It was ABC Family and, for some reason, they were playing Christmas movies… in July. I shook my head at the nonsense. The movie was some kind of animated reindeer movie.

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! Now, Prancer, and Vixen! On, Comet! On Cupid! On, Donder, and _Blitzen_!" The little dogs head popped up on the last name.

"You like that?" I asked the puppy. "Blitzen… come here, Blitzen." She wined, and pawed at me in response. I rubbed behind her ears and smiled. Even if it was in the middle of July, and nowhere near Christmas time, the name fit her. "Blitzen is it, then." I said, and snuggled on the couch with her.

I drifted back into sleep, and stayed asleep until I heard Aveline from her bedroom. She was crying from her bedroom, which meant that it was time for me to go and get her. I forced myself off of the comfortable couch, put the dog on the floor, and went to her room. The puppy trailed behind me the entire way there.

I got Aveline out of her crib, and after changing her out of her diaper, put her on the floor. She crawled after the puppy, and tried to play with her tail. The dog ran around in circles trying to bite it, never even once snapping at my baby.

While I watched the two little rascals, I picked up my phone, which had one new message, from Alice, of course.

_Hey, Bella! How is Seattle? We miss you a lot down here._

I texted her back immediately. _We're doing great. The baby is doing fine, and so is Aveline. _I left out the detail about the new puppy. It wasn't really necessary to me. _We miss you too. I can't wait to see you guys._

Her response was just as quick as mine was. _And when we hang out, guess what we're doing to do? Wedding plans. _

Oh, yeah. I have a wedding to plan. That sounded so strange for me to think about! With everything going on - the baby, the apartment, and the puppy -, wedding planning was on the back burner of my mind.

Now that I thought about it, I decided that a small wedding would be nice. I was never one to have some huge, extravagant celebration. Just our family and friends would be nice. And something casual - no ballrooms, or anything fancy. All I cared about was sealing my love with Edward for forever.

_Please, Alice, nothing too much. I don't want a big party. _I sent that, then started on a second message. _And Edward and I are tight on money, keep that in mind._

I didn't know whether to be thankful or irritated when she said that her parents would pay for the wedding. Maybe both. Of course I'm thankful that the two of them are offering to pay for everything, but I also feel irritated that they are. I don't like money being spent on me.

Aveline crawled over to the me and gripped onto the couch to help herself up. She stared at me with wide eyes and babbled on and on.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked, and put my hand on her head. She bounced up and down quickly, and slapped her hands down on the couch repeatedly. Her words were incoherent, but I felt like she was trying to say something. "Can you say Momma?" She hit her hands even harder against the couch and continued babbling.

It was funny, because even though I had no idea what she was saying, and she had no idea what I was saying, we were having some sort of a "conversation".

"What are you doing?" I'd asked her, and she'd talking.

"Is that you're toy?" She'd respond.

I cannot wait for her to say her first word. A lot of babies first word is 'dada', but I'm secretly hoping that her first will be 'momma'. No offense to Edward, but it'd be nice to hear my name come from her first

The puppy suddenly jumped up from her ball on the floor, and started yelping. I stopped in mid-sentence, and turned to her. She was up on all fours and glaring towards the door - the tiny thing was trying to look menacing, but at a size like hers, it was nearly impossible.

There were footsteps outside of the door, and then, it pushed open. Edward walked in completely out of breath. His white t-shirt was tucked into the pant line of his Nike shorts, and sweat dripped down his bare chest. I looked at him again and noticed the bright red scratches all over his skin, and the blood tricking down his leg.

"Oh my god." I jumped off of the couch and ran over to him. "Baby, are you okay?!"

"Yeah." Edward took a minute to breath. "I took a wrong turn. I thought that there was this trail down the road - " another breath - "but it wasn't. It was just forest."

"Why are you bleeding?" I asked as I took his hand and helped him sit down.

"It was just thick vegetation. I'm fine, really." He took his shirt, and wiped his face with it. "I've been through worse during cross country season. It's okay."

I considered this. It was true. He told me how all the time they would venture off into the woods for a run some days. He would come home with gashes up and down his legs, mosquito bites covering his arms, and nasty scars.

Even then, it didn't matter. I rushed over to the kitchen and ran a wash cloth under hot water. While the water heated up, I grabbed some rubbing alcohol. Once I had everything I needed, I went back over to Edward and knelt in front of him.

"This is going to sting a little." I said softly, and gently pressed the wash cloth against all of his cuts. He looked at me as I did this, and cocked his head to the side. It wasn't until I dabbed the rubbing alcohol against his skin that he flinched. "Sorry." I mumbled, and kissed his cheek.

When I had finished, I put everything away, and sat down next to him on the couch. He sat with his head against the back of the couch, so I rested my head against his shoulder, and sighed.

Aveline was sitting in the middle of the living room with a toy in her hand, talking quietly to herself. I looked over at Edward. "I named the puppy while you were gone."

"What'd you decide on?"

I laughed. "Blitzen. You know, like the reindeer."

"Why that name?"

I told him about how ABC was playing Christmas movies, and when Santa called off his eight reindeer, the name Blitzen just seemed to fit. He rustled my hair afterwards, and I smiled.

"You can help name the baby."

"I'd hope so." He laughed, and casually draped his arm around me.

"Only because you did such a good job with Aveline. Otherwise, I wouldn't be letting you help me out." I teased again.

Edward shook his head.

We started talking about the wedding. I had no idea what I wanted, and he was exactly the same. To be honest, I think that the two of us could care less about the ceremony. Getting married in a cardboard box would be fine, as long as it was with him.

All I really want is us to be forever.

Something small. Something simple. Traditional. Maybe even a vintage theme. Light colors, and light decorations. Invitations done on a type writer, and the music could come from one of those old-fashioned record players. Or maybe even a wedding in Edward's family's front yard. In the house itself would even be beautiful.

The more I thought about it, the more excited I felt.

I would wear a beautiful dress - one that fit well with my soon-to-be popping belly. My hair would be perfect, my makeup would be perfect, _he _would be perfect. And the moment that that ring would be on my finger, our love would be infinite. Even more than it already is.

I thought about being how many months pregnant and wearing a wedding dress. The two contradicted each other. In my mind, it was perfect.

Marriage is about love. Marriage is about promising yourself to somebody for as long as you both shall live. That's what we're doing - swearing our love on one another. And to this baby as well.

That night, once the baby and puppy were asleep, Edward and I lay in bed together.

"I'm really worried." I finally admitted.

"About what?" Edward asked. He turned on his side to face me.

"Everything." I closed my eyes. "I'm just so afraid of losing this baby. I don't think I can handle losing another one, and I'm really afraid, and I just …." Tears were flowing down my cheeks like a river now. I sniffled, and wiped them from my eyes.

He scooted next to me, and wrapped his arm around my waist. I felt so tiny in his hands. "Don't think like that. You have to stay positive about this kind of things, love."

"I know." I whimpered. "But, I can't stop thinking about it. It's giving me nightmares. And I can't - "

Edward pressed a cool finger against my lips. "I know that you're worried. You have every right to be afraid. But worrying about it isn't going to help the baby." He caressed my cheeks. "I think you should try and give this baby the most stress-free pregnancy you possible can."

He was right. I'd heard that all over - that stress is never good for a baby. That you should always stay positive and _love _the baby. That gave me hope. I already love this baby as much as a mother possibly could. And, maybe, love for this baby will keep the both of us strong. It'll keep me with him.

Despite the reassurance, when I fell asleep that night, I found myself whispering, "stay with me, please" with my hand pressed against my belly.

* * *

**I'm going to try and update tomorrow to, since it took me forever to get this chapter up. Sorry, loves! I've been very busy with the manuscript for PTRATTS. It's coming along fantastically! I still need help with the name: _A Mind Like Mine_, (_A Mind Like Ours_?) OR _What We Wanted_. Help?**

**AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 500 REVIWS ON _PEOPLE THROW ROCKS AT THINGS THAT SHINE_. I LITERALLY SCREAMED WHEN I SAW THAT. I love you guys so much.**

**Check out my new story, _On This Road_! New chapter soon. It's a pretty exciting story. Very different from this one. (:**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley**


	23. No

**It's SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! I'm not big into football, but my family is! I'm personally rooting for the 49er's… what about you guys? Anyway, thanks for all of the reviews on the last chapter. That was really nice of you. (:**

**Someone requested that I do something for this chapter, and that kind of sparked the idea for it. Enjoy!**

* * *

_BPOV  
_

I ran the vacuum throughout the house while Edward was out at the grocery store with Aveline. The dog, who apparently wasn't a fan of the vacuum, hid in the corner of the living room, behind one of the chairs.

The house had gotten a lot messier in the past few weeks that I ever would have imagined. Now that it's time to make everything sparkling clean, I see how bad it was. Maybe this is why we need family to come visit every once in a while - it reminds us that we need to do deep cleanings more often.

Today the Cullen's are coming over. Or, Esme, and Alice are. Carlisle has work, but Jasper agreed to tag along. We've been talking on the phone with them, and texting, but we haven't seen them face-to-face in ages. I'm beyond excited to see them all.

My dad was supposed to tag along as well, but he called me last night and said that there was a last minute fishing trip scheduled. I told him that he should go. He can come and see me any other time he likes.

I went to vacuum over a dust pile in the kitchen, when I realized that it wasn't picking anything up. I turned it off, then back on - nothing. I made sure that there was nothing jammed (there wasn't), and even left it off for a good fifteen minutes.

"Dammit." I mumbled to myself as I pulled out the dust pan and picked up all of the piles by hand. I threw it into the trashcan, and put the vacuum, which I would take a look at later, back into the closet.

The puppy whined from her corner, and ran over to me. She jumped up on my legs, and scratched my shins. I winced a little at her claws digging into my skin, but leaned down to her level.

"It's just a silly vacuum, you stupid dog." I said, and scratched behind her ear. She leaned her head into my hand, until there was a small knock on the front door. She barked like a little squeak toy, and I walked over to answer it.

Edward walked in, Aveline in one arm, and a handful of groceries in the other. He quickly put them down on the countertop, and I took Aveline from him. She grabbed a handful of my hair, and started playing with it.

"Was it busy?" I asked.

He stretched out his arm. "It wasn't too bad. But, I got everything that you asked for, and that's all that matters, right?"

I nodded, and kissed him. "Thanks again, babe."

Edward smiled. "Anytime."

I put Aveline on the floor, who crawled over to the puppy, and started playing with her. While the two of them were occupied, I opened the paper bag, and looked inside. There were two bags of chips, some salsa, hot wings, and olives. I had asked for olives not for the Cullen's coming over, but for myself. The cravings were finally back.

I took out the can of olives, and handed it to Edward with a pleading smile. He shook his head, though there was a smile playing upon his lips, as he grabbed the can opener from the drawer, and opened it for me. I took one out, and plopped it into my mouth.

"What time are they coming over again?" I asked, taking another olive out.

"In an hour and a half." Edward answered smoothly.

I put the can on the countertop, and sighed. "That means that I should probably go get ready, doesn't it?"

"I'll watch Aveline." He said.

"That's why I keep you around." I teased, and smirked at him. As I walked by, I kissed him again, before I walked into our bathroom to take a well deserved shower.

While I waited for the water to heat up, I slowly took my clothes off. I stared at my reflection, and watched as my hands slowly went to my belly. My hair was long enough to cover my breasts - it fell to my waist, after all -, and even though I'm only three months along, my stomach seems to be bigger than it was last time. I think that has something to do with this being my second pregnancy and all. Your body is used to getting bigger, and it does. I can't imagine being any bigger than I was last time, though. I felt like a balloon with Aveline!

Steam was floating from the shower now, and it slowly fogged up my reflection. I took that as my cue to hop into the shower, and after wrapping all of my hair into a bun, I did. The hot water felt amazing on my pale skin. It hit my neck, and made my muscles twinge with pleasure.

I spent as long as I possibly could in the shower - and as long as I could meant until the water was cold, and my fingers looked like raisins. I turned the water off, and quickly wrapped a towel around my soaking body. Once I was dry, I pulled on a floral baby doll top with a pair of denim shorts. Even wearing this, my belly popped a little. I smiled, and took my hair out of the bun as I walked back into the living room.

Aveline was dressed, and Edward was too. She wore a red and white checkered dress with a little white flower on her head, and Edward dressed casually in khakis and a short sleeved shirt.

They were both sitting on the floor together, surrounded by a mountain of her toys. Edward was laying on his stomach, while she sat down in front of him. She picked up one of her toys and put it in his face, while she babbled on, and on.

When I walked through the door, he looked at me, and jumped up. "Hey, beautiful." He said as he hugged me, his hand lingering on my stomach.

I kissed him lightly. "Hey. Thanks for getting her dressed." His hand brushed along my waist as I walked forward and took a seat on the couch. Aveline crawled over and used the couch to support her as she stood up.

I ran my hand through her dark hair, and kissed her forehead. She shoved the toy she was holding in my face, and smiled. I smiled, too, and held the toy for a small moment before handing it back to her.

There was another half hour until the Cullen's were supposed to show up, so I forced myself off of the couch and set up all of the food, finishing off my can of olives as I worked. Edward helped me too, even though there wasn't much to be done. But by the time there was a small knock on our door, everything was ready, and that's all that mattered to me.

Edward answered the door. I stood in the living room with Aveline in my arms, while the puppy ran up to the door, scratching at Edward's legs.

"Oh, Edward!" Esme called, and wrapped her arms around her son before she had even stepped through the door. "I've missed so much…" She held him there until her eyes met mine. "Oh my, that baby has gotten so big!" She ran over to me.

"My goodness, her hair is going to be halfway down her back before she's two." Esme said, looking at Aveline for a long moment before she looked up at me. "How have you been holding up?"

"I've been doing great." I reassured her.

She put her hand on my arm, and smiled. "That's good to hear."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Edward hugging his sister, who was so tiny compared to him. He teased her about something, and she hit him in the chest, then ran over to me. "Bella!" She squealed, and hugged me. "Oh my god. It's been so long."

"I've missed you so much!" I admitted. "And so has Aveline."

Alice gasped, and took her from my arm. She immediately began rocking her back and forth and talking to her. "Hi there, little missy. Do you remember me?" Aveline put her hand over Alice's face, then reached for Jasper, who was standing near by.

We took them on the grand tour of our little apartment. I kept reminding them that it was still a work-in-progress, but Esme seemed to be pleased with it. She commented on the bedspread, the couch, and even the pictures we had hung around the wall. She said it was cozy, and fit us perfectly.

After showing them around (and introducing them to the puppy, which Alice completely flipped over), we all took a seat on the couch with the food we all brought. Along with our chips, they had brought some sushi, as well flavored water. I snuggled into the corner of the couch, my legs over Edward's like a bridge, and ate.

"When do you start classes?" Esme asked Edward.

"Two weeks Monday." He said. "The university isn't too far away, and I only have a few classes a week. I have cross every morning, and I'm looking for a job right now." Edward explained.

"Sounds like you have a lot going on…"

"No, mom, please don't worry." He told her. "We're managing. Bella's staying home with the baby, and she has a friend to help her out."

"I've been replaced." Alice gasped jokingly. She was sitting by Jasper, and his arm was draped around her tiny shoulders. I couldn't help but smile at how cute the two of them looked together.

I rolled my eyes. "Her name is Violet, and we met _months_ ago. She's in the same situation we're in. Her boyfriend is even going to the same school as Edward. It's pretty weird."

"What are you studying again?" Jasper asked.

"I think I'd like to work with trauma patients." Edward said, nodding his head as he spoke. "The emergency room has some pretty crazy stories."

"Like that one show… I think it's called - "

"I'm sorry." Alice interrupted. "I don't want to sit here and talk about doctor-ish things for the next few hours. Do you know what I really want to talk about?" There was a gleam in her eye. "Wedding plans."

"Alice…"

"We don't have much time! Don't you want to tie the knot before baby number two is here?"

"I'm not in the mood to talk about wedding plans right now. Can't we all just relax and talk about simple things right now?" I asked her desperately.

She sighed. "Can we please talk about it for a little bit?"

It took me a while to answer. I looked up at Edward, who was obviously trying his best not to smile at the argument between his pregnant finance and his little sister. He was obviously no help. I groaned in defeat and motioned with my hand for her to continue.

"Okay, okay. What month were you thinking?"

August, September, October, November, December, January, and February - those were the only months that were an option for us to even have a wedding. The first three months will be to chaotic to have a wedding, with Edward starting school and all. November is Aveline's first birthday. And January and February are very close to the due date.

December might be nice. Edward would be on Christmas break, and everyone would be off as well. "I don't know. December?"

"A winter wedding. Oh my gosh, this is going to be so amazing. If you could only see all of the ideas in my head right now!"

"And I want a small wedding." I told her. "No more than thirty people. I don't want fancy food. I don't want exquisite decorations. I don't want a princess wedding dress. All I want is to get married, and move on. Okay?"

"What about - "

"_No._"

I felt my blood pressure rising. She was making me angry! I didn't want to discuss my wedding right now. All I want to do is have a nice day with my family, and planning this is making that really hard.

"Inside or outside?"

"I don't know."

"DJ or live band?"

"Still don't know."

"Bella." She growled.

"Alice." I snapped back.

"Alright!" Edward intervened. "How about we change the subject? We'll talk about this later." He put his hand on mine and rubbed my ring finger softly. I took that as a sign to calm down, and I quietly excused myself to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water. When I came back, everyone was talking about some new movie.

I didn't say anything until I was sure that I was calm. My nerves were still on edge, so I waited another twenty minutes before I jumped back into the conversation. While I waited, I drank my glass of water, and nestled my head against Edward's chest. I felt tired, even though it was only five o'clock.

I've always loved doing this - resting my head against someone's chest while they speak. The vibration of their voice tingles against you, and you can take in their smell, and listen to the easiness of their single breath. It's relaxing.

"Why don't we Skype Em and Rose?" Esme suggested. "I haven't heard from them in a while." We all agreed, and once we set up the computer to Skype, and saw that they were online, we sent a video request. It took a while for them to respond, but once it did, Rosalie's perfect face came into view.

"Hey!" She said. "Wow. _Everyone_ is there."

I smiled. "We miss you so much."

Alice butted in. "Oh my god, Rosalie, did they tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Shame on you for not telling her!" Alice shunned, then grabbed my left hand, and shoved it into the webcam. Rosalie gasped. "I know, right? It's insane."

"How could you guys not tell me that you're getting _married_?!" She paused for a minute. "EMMETT, GET IN HERE. BELLA AND EDWARD ARE ON SKYPE, AND THEY HAVE IMPORTANT NEWS."

Moments later, Emmett popped up next to Rosalie. He looked exactly as I had remembered him, just now that he was away from his mother, he had a little stubble on his face. "What's wrong?! Oh! Hey, guys!"

She pointed at the screen. "They're getting married."

"Wait, what?!"

"I know!"

I looked over at Edward and shook my head while everyone freaked out over our engagement. I guess that in the excitement of it all, I had forgotten to tell Rose, which was insane. She's one of my best friends.

"I guess we have something else to tell you to, then." Since Edward had done the honors when we broke the news to everyone else, I told them. "We're having another baby."

Her jaw dropped to the floor, and Emmett blinked three times in a row.

"No…"

"Yes!"

"Already?"

"I mean, it wasn't like we - " I stopped myself in mid sentence, and sighed. "Yes. We're already expecting another baby."

"Well, congratulations! I can't wait to meet the new Cullen." She smiled.

For the next forty-five minutes, we all went around talking to the two of them. Esme scolded Emmett for not shaving his stubble, and Alice asked Rosalie about the shopping in downtown Chicago. It was nice catching up with not only them, but everyone else. I miss them all more than I thought, and that's really saying something.

When we finally logged off, everyone stood up and stretched. Jasper checked his watch, and sighed. "My mom needs me home by nine thirty. It's six now…"

"We should probably be heading back home then." Esme said.

Alice frowned. "But I wanted to talk wedding plans…."

"_No_."

"But - "

"No."

She sighed, and I took Aveline from her since we they were heading out. The sudden movement woke her up from her nap, and she squirmed in my arms. I rubbed my hand up and down her back to soothe her. She quieted down and looked at me.

"Thanks again for coming." Edward said.

"You guys are due for a trip to Forks next time." Esme said as she hugged her son. She came over to me, and kissed both Aveline and I on the cheek.

I smiled at Jasper, who stood by the door waiting for Alice, who was giving us her good byes. She hugged Edward, then came over to me. "This not over yet. We will be discussing this wedding soon."

I rolled my eyes.

"Isn't that right, Aveline?" She held onto her little finger. "Me and mommy are going to talk about the wedding aren't we?"

It happened. Aveline kicked her feet, and looked at Alice for a long moment. Nobody was paying much attention until the word "no" came out of her mouth. I froze, and stared at her. Everyone did exactly as I did.

"Did she just - "

"I think she did…"

Of all words for her to say, she chose _no_. Not 'mama' like I had been hoping for, or even 'dada' like most babies. She said 'no'. It was at that moment that I knew she was my child. Eight months old, and the stubbornness is already beginning to show.

Edward realized this too. He looked over at me and mouthed the words _told you so_, and winked. She looks like me, and acts like me to, just like Edward had predicted.

You know what they say - like mother like daughter.

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**No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Hehe. What a fantastic first word for a baby! I'm thinking we'll have another four or five more chapters before this story closes out. That's so sad to think about! Let's enjoy the time we have together! And while you're waiting for this to be updated… check out my new story On This Road. I think it's one of my stronger writing pieces. (:**

**Thanks for reading. And thank you guys for getting me to 100,000 views on People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine. I'm so happy about that. That's a really big number. I never imagined that many people would ever read something I wrote. (:**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley.**


	24. Love Always Wins

**Dear God. Fanfiction has been malfunctioning for the past day. I tried to post this at eight _yesterday _morning, and nobody could read it. So, I deleted, reposted, and it wasn't even showing up. Sorry for the delay. I also posted this about seven times, and then kept deleting because either you couldn't review, or you couldn't even read it, or whatever.**

**Anyway... ****Hey guys! I hope you're all doing well. I decided to update today instead of tomorrow. Isn't that exciting? I have news on PTRATTS! The manuscript will be sent off in four days, and I'm thinking about changing the title to something along the lines of: What's Ours, This Is Ours, Ours, Take What's Ours… I'm not sure. Let me know? Or give me some suggestions? (:**

* * *

_B__POV_

"No, no, no, no, no." Aveline chimed from her high chair. The doctor told us that it was time to move on from milk to soft, baby food. It smelt disgusting, and made me gag every time I opened a bottle. I hate feeding it to her.

I dipped the spoon into jar and put it in her mouth. She slammed her hands against the highchair, and started crying. She spit the food from her mouth and screamed.

"Aveline. _Please_." I begged, and tried feeding her again. She turned her head to the right, and leaned away from me and the spoon. I managed to put it in her mouth, but she spit it out again - this time all over the kitchen.

I sighed in defeat and put the jar of stupid baby food on the counter.

Aveline was an absolute mess. Baby food was all over her face. I picked her up, and hurried into the bathroom for a quick bath. I ran the water, then put her in. She screamed. She doesn't like baths.

I grabbed the washcloth and wiped all of the food off of her, and squeezed some lavender baby soap onto her pale skin. While I was in the midst of bathing her, Edward walked in. He was wearing shorts, and flip-flops on this unusually warm Seattle day.

Today is Edward's first day at the university, and, needless to say, the both of us are nervous.

"I'm about to leave." He told me.

I quickly jumped up from the floor. "Oh, wait, wait. Do you want me to pack you lunch? Well, I guess you could but lunch there… or… if you need something to carry all of your stuff I'm sure we have something… oh, _or _if there's going to be some kind of - "

"Bella." He said softly.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." I apologized, and fixed his shirt one last time. He looked down at me, and a hint of amusement played in his eyes. I smiled, and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. "Go and get 'em. I love you."

He kissed me again, and laughed. "I love you too."

And then he was gone. I kneeled back on the bathroom floor and finished bathing Aveline.

This will be my life for the next four years - staying at home all day with a baby with nothing to do. I don't have a car, so I can't go anywhere, and most of my friends live far away.

All but one friend. I got Aveline out of the bath and quickly dressed her in a floral summer dress. Once she was dressed, and ready to go, I picked up my cell phone. Aveline crawled over to me, and gripped onto my legs to help her stand up. I dialed in the numbers, and waited as it rang.

"Hello?" Violet answered in a groggy voice. It sound like she had been crying.

"Hey, it's me, Bella."

"Oh." She sniffled, and cleared her throat. "Hi, Bella."

"Are you okay? You sound like you've been crying."

She suddenly burst into tears. Hysterically. I panicked for the shortest of moments - her crying had taken me off guard. I let her cry for a few minutes before she caught her breath, and breathed heavily into the receiver. "I'm sorry. I-I-it's nothing."

"You can tell me anything. We're friends." I encouraged her. We're the only people who understand what each other is going through. We both have a baby, both of our boyfriends are in school, and we live in cheap apartments in Seattle.

"But it's just so awful." She sobbed.

"Why don't you come over and we'll talk about it?" I offered. "Seth and Aveline can play, and we'll talk.

"Thank you Bella." Violet whispered. "I'll be over in fifteen minutes."

The next fifteen minutes were spending picking up the house. Aveline's breakfast epidemic had left the kitchen in a miserable state, and her toys were scattered all over the living. I had to scrub all of the countertops, and even the floor, to clean the kitchen completely.

I quickly changed Aveline's diaper, which she didn't like, and put her back on the floor with a toy in her hand. I then ran into my room, yanked a brush through my hair, and piled it on my head in a very messy bun.

Just as I had finished, there was a knock door. The dog yelped, and started pawing at the door. I walked over, pushed her out of the way, and opened. Violet was standing there with puffy, red eyes, and her son in her arms.

I smiled, and let her in.

"I'll take him for you." I said, and she slowly handed him to me. He felt so different compared to my Aveline. It was strange. I put him on the floor next to Aveline, and they immediately began playing together.

Violet took a seat on the couch, and I made the both of us a hot cup of herbal tea. Once it was done, I sat back down next to her, and handed her the cup. She sat with her knees up pulled against her chest, and her arms wrapped around her knees. When I handed her the cup, she sat up straight, and nestled into the corner of the couch.

"So, what's going on?"

She took a shaky breath. "I've made a huge mistake, Bella. A really bad one."

"I'm sure that it's not as bad as you - "

"No. It's bad."

"What did you do?"

She put her tea on the coffee table, and covered her face with her hands. She stayed like this for a long while before she let out a deep breath and the words flowed from her mouth. "He proposed."

My mouth fell to the ground. "No way! Violet, I'm so happy for you."

"That's the mistake I made." Tears built up in her blue eyes. "I told him no." She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. I had never seen something so raw before - someone whose emotions were crazy, and wild, and unexpected. "I panicked. I should have said yes. I want to say yes. But, I didn't. I was already terrified that he was going to leave me, and now I'm almost positive that he will. And I can't be alone, Bella. I can't."

"Violet, take deep breaths. I promise that you're going to be alright."

"I can't be alone." She sobbed. "Do you know why I was so terrified that he was going to leave me? I took a test. I'm pregnant. I went to the doctor, and they said that I'm three and a half months along. He doesn't know. And then when he proposed, I said no, because once he finds out about the baby he's not going to want to stay… but I can't do this… I can't be alone… I need help…"

Her words were incoherent - a complete mess. She sat on my couch and cried, and cried, and cried. I was shocked. Not just as her situation, but at the odds of it all. Her boyfriend proposed to her, and she too is three and a half months pregnant.

Aveline looked up the two of us, more specifically Violet, and furrowed her eyebrows. "No?"

I smiled at her. "Go play, sweetie."

She looked up at us for a moment longer before she returned to playing with her friend.

I leaned forward and put my hand on Violet's shoulder. "You need to tell him everything that you just told me." I said softly. "He's going to understand, I promise. Tell him that you want to say yes. Tell him that you panicked. Tell him that you're pregnant."

I handed her her cup of tea, an she took a long sip, then wiped her eyes. "What if he gets mad at me?"

"I think he'll be more upset if you _don't_ tell him."

"But… how am I supposed to tell him all of this?" Violet ran her hands through her hair.

"Call him right now, and tell him that you need to talk when he gets home. You'll feel better once you get this off of your chest. I promise."

She pulled her phone out, and stared at the screen for a solid minute before she went to her contacts, and called Dylan. She closed her eyes as it rang, and rang, and went to voicemail. "Hey, we need to talk later. I need to tell you something really important." Her voice dropped. "I love you so much…." There was a pause. "Bye."

We both looked at each other and smiled a bit. That was a good thing to see on her sad face - a little smile on her lips, and hope in her sparkling blue eyes.

"Thank you so much, Bella."

"What are friends for?"

And she hugged me. She wrapped her arms around me, and pulled me close. I hugged her too, and patted her back softly. I think that every once in a while, we need to know that there's someone out there who cares. And that there's someone who understands.

That's what Violet needs right now.

* * *

It's four o'clock. My long hair is curled, and down to my hips. I'm wearing a light blue v-neck dress, with a whimsical-like tree that dances towards the bottom. Sitting on the table are little appetizers.

I thought that it would be nice to surprise Edward when he comes home from his first day. And so, here I am, dressed up, with a bunch of yummy food on the table. I had managed to put Aveline down for a late nap, and she was sound asleep.

I heard footsteps outside of the door. I quickly fixed my hair and waited anxiously for him to walk in. When he did, he dropped his bag on the floor, and looked up at me with confusion clearly written all over his face.

"Surprise!" I said, and walked over to him.

"What's all this for?"

I shrugged. "I just felt like being nice."

He smiled my favorite crooked smile. "Well, I sure like coming home to you."

I kissed him, then danced over to the table and showed him all of the food that I had made. It was hard to cook all of the food with Aveline sitting at my feet the entire time saying "no" like she was a broken record, but I managed.

"And this is why I keep you around." He winked and took a seat. I sat across from him and picked up a crisp bread slice with mozzarella and tomato on top. I plopped it in my mouth, and swallowed. It tasted _so good. _

"How was your first day?" I asked him.

"It was actually pretty good. For school, at least. We went over a few things in the textbooks, and, get this. I have a class with Dylan. It's like we keep running into these people." He laughed a little.

"Maybe it's a sign."

"Who knows?"

I wanted to tell him about what they were going through, but I felt like it wasn't my story to tell. I ate an olive to stop myself from spilling. I really hope that the two of them work this out. They've been through to much to give up now.

Once Edward and I had finished eating, he stood up, and walked over to me. He held his hand out, and looked at me.

"What?" I said, and took his hand. He helped me up, and took his phone out of his pocket. He hit a few buttons before music softly played through the speakers of his phone.

"May I have this dance?"

I giggled. "Of course you may."

He put his phone in his pocket, and kissed the top of my hand. He then put his hands on my hips, and slowly swayed back and forth to the music. It was a soft song, acoustic sounding, with a cute melody. He spun me around in a circle on the chorus, and pulled me back into his arms. I laughed, and rested my head against his chest.

We danced around the living room in the beautiful sunset, and honestly, I could not have asked for a more perfect moment. When the song faded to a finish, he kissed me. I smiled, and held onto him for a moment longer.

There was suddenly a small cry coming from the bedroom. Edward kissed me again. "I'll get her." He said, and hurried off to go and get our baby.

While he was gone, I checked my phone. I had one new message. I eagerly checked it.

_I talked to Dylan. We argued a little bit, but I think that we're going to be alright. He's not upset about the baby. He's just hurt by the proposal. But, we're working on that too. Thank you so much for today. - Violet_

I smiled. Life may make love look hard, but in the end, love _always wins_.

* * *

**This chapter was really symbolic in the title - Life Makes Love Look Hard. I was listening to the song "Ours" while I wrote the second half of the chapter, and that really helped me. I hope that you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it. (:**

**Please check out my story On This Road! I'll be updating soon.  
**

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**


	25. Teamwork

**I'm at home. It's raining outside. I'm sick. And I've been watching crime shows all day. I finally decided that it might be a good idea to update. So, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. (:**

**(Help me get to four hundred reviews! I'm only twenty five away!). **

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BPOV

December 16th is the day I'm getting married. Ever since Edward and I agreed on a date, Alice has been frantic. She's been me calling me so often with plans, and ideas, and appointments that I'm starting to wonder if _she's_ the one getting married.

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of Lauren's death. I wasn't able to make it down to Forks for the funeral, but I sent flowers, and my condolences. It was crazy to believe that an entire year has passed since that dreaded day.

But today, I'm on Skype with Alice discussing (more) wedding details. Her face was a little fuzzy on the screen, her voice muffled, but it was doable. Jasper was sitting beside her with his arm draped over his shoulder. It was clear that he was only pretending to pay attention. Poor guy.

"You're not giving me much to work you." She complained.

"Sorry." I said, though not really apologetic. "I just don't want a big wedding. That's more than we can afford, and more than I can handle. Remember - I am pregnant."

Alice sighed heavily. "Yeah, yeah, I know." She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before they popped back open. "Okay, so, you mentioned a vintage theme. What about that? That's quirky…" She mumbled the last word.

"Vintage is cool." I said. Vintage is cheap, too. From what I've seen, the decorations can easily be made by hand. It'll be December, so lights will be cheap. I think mason jars are a dollar at Hobby Lobby. Scrap pieces of lace can't be too hard to find either.

"Is that a yes to vintage?" She asked.

"I mean, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I kind of want to talk with Edward about it before we decide anything." I told her. "Shouldn't he be here while we're talking about this?"

"Yeah, well, he never seems to be home anymore so there's no time that we can discuss this with him here." Alice said softly.

I can't argue with that. Ever since school started, Edward is barely home. He leaves early in the morning, and goes to classes. After classes, he has cross country, and he just recently got a job at a knock-off coffee shop down the street. By the time he gets home, it's time for dinner, and he's exhausted.

I barely get time with him anymore. Aveline doesn't see him as much either. The only time either of us really get to be around him is on the weekends (and that's when he's not up to his eyeballs in homework).

Needless to say, life has been busy for the both of us.

Taking care of Aveline by myself isn't the easiest job in the world. Especially when she's screaming because her teeth are coming in. Or crawling into walls. Or throwing her feed across the kitchen. Refusing to take naps. Crying about bath time. On top of that, there's this wedding to plan, _and _the new baby.

The amount of stress I'm in right now makes me want to scream.

"Okay, you're right." I sighed. "Well, I can call him and see what he thinks."

Alice dropped her pencil on the couch. She had heard those words before. "Be my guest."

I picked up my cell phone and quickly dialed Edward's number. He should be out of his biology class now. It rang a couple times before he finally answered. "Hey." He said. The wind was blowing hard. I could tell that he was outside, and walking to his next class.

"Hey, baby." I smiled. "Alice and I were just talking wedding plans, and I wanted to know what you thought about - "

"I can't hear you." Edward said through the wind.

"I said that we were just talking wedding plans, and - "

"What? New bedding and Cheyenne? Who the hell is Cheyenne, and why is she on our bed?!"

"No!" I groaned. "_Wedding plans_."

The wind stopped. He was inside now. "Oh. Wedding plans!" There was rustling, and a low murmur. "Okay, well, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking vintage. It'd be pretty simple. We could buy those really cute little glass Coke bottles for people to drink from. And pretty floral for the decorations."

"I think that sounds fantastic. I don't care what we do. As long as you're happy. I really have to go now. Class is about to start."

"You _don't care_?"

Edward sighed. "Bella, love, you know I didn't mean it like that."

"But you said that you didn't care." I frowned, and made that apparent in my voice.

"No, I mean, I do care. I just meant that as long as you're happy, I - " He stopped in midsentence. "I really have to go now. I don't want to disrupt class. I love you, and I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Kay." I said, and he hung up. "Bye." I whispered to myself.

Alice cleared her throat. "So…."

I smiled. "Vintage it is."

By the end of our little Skype session, we had gotten a lot done. The vintage theme was sold for the both of us. Outside was ideal, but, this is Seattle in December. That idea is out of the picture. We thought that somewhere inside with lots of windows would work. We looked up a few places to visit, and started talking color schemes - creamy whites, pastels. Lots of flowers. Lights. And Jasper has a friend who's in a band, who wouldn't mind playing for us for cheap.

Planning the wedding isn't bad when I'm actually in the mood to talk about it.

When Alice finally signed off - with plans of talking again later in the week - I stood up and stretched. My stomach is ridiculous. Five months along, and I look like I'm about nine. Feel like it too. I keep eating olives for some reason, and my hormones have been through the roof.

I have a doctor's appointment coming up next week, and that's when we find out if it's a boy or a girl. I'm _beyond_ excited. Finding out Aveline's gender made me a million times more excited for her arrival, and that's exactly how I feel now. I just can't wait to find out.

Edward says he doesn't care if it's a boy or a girl, but I'm almost positive that he wants a boy. He's already surrounded by three of us! As for me - I could care less. A baby is a baby, and as long as that baby is mine…. I'm happy.

After I stretched, I waddled into the kitchen and fed the puppy. She jumped on top of the bowl and sucked up the food. Literally. I don't even think that she chews. Once that was taken care of, I went into Aveline's room and took her out of her crib. She was standing, and started jumping up and down when I walked in.

"Hi, sweetie." I said, and picked her up. I changed her diaper super quick, and put her on the floor. She crawled into the living room and started playing with the sleeping dog. The dog stared at her grumpily.

This went on for a while. This is what I do most days - sit around the house and play with Aveline. It was fun at first, but now it's kind of boring. I'd love to get out of the house and do something, but I have nowhere to go, and nobody to hang out with. Sure, there's Violet, but I don't want to bother her. I'm not sure what we'd do either.

I blew air through my cheeks.

I read a little bit of my book until it made me feel nauseous. The television did that too. I think it's a new side effect from the pregnancy. I cleaned up some of the toys on the floor, but Aveline started screaming at me. Even when I handed them back to her, she continued screaming.

"What's wrong, Ava?" I asked.

She looked at me and screamed even louder. The dog joined in with her, like a wolf howling at the moon. I sat on the couch, completely distraught. What could I do? I let her sit there and cry herself through her tantrum like the doctor's said we should. But she only got louder.

I picked up the dog, and pet her softly. She jumped out of my arms, and nestled into the corner of the couch, digging her nose into the crease. I sighed and leaned back on the couch too.

_Forty-five minutes later _Aveline rolled onto her back and slowly stopped screaming. She hiccupped softly, and cried quietly, but it soon faded, and she was asleep. I took a deep breath, and silently crept over to her, and put her in her crib.

Now it was time for me to relax. I lay on the couch, and closed my eyes. Just as I was beginning to relax, and drift into a well-deserved sleep, there were footsteps outside the door. The dog jumped up from her spot, and growled. I sat up too.

"Shh. Please, Blitzen, please." I whispered. I had just gotten her to stop screaming. I didn't need her to wake back up and start this all over again. "Shh."

The dog backed off. But once the front door flew open, she yelped loudly, and bolted. Almost immediately, there was crying from the other room. I sat with my face in my hands.

"Hey, there." Edward said, putting his bag up. "What's wrong?" He asked, walking over to me.

"Nothing is wrong! Okay?!" I snapped at him.

He put his hand on my back. "Bella, calm down, love."

"I can't calm down!" I screamed. "She cried for forty-five minutes, and the second that you came in that goddamn dog started to bark and woke her up! Forty-five minutes, Edward. _Forty-five_. So, no, I cannot just calm down!"

Edward ran his hand up and down my arm now. "It's okay, I'll get her."

"No. I'll do it myself, just like I have to do everything else around here!"

"What are you talking about? I help you all the time."

"No, you don't! You get to go to school all day, and go to work. But, no. I'm stuck inside this goddamn house with a goddamn baby cleaning up, and listening to her scream, and worrying about another baby that's on the way!" I exploded.

"And that's supposed to be my fault?!"

I groaned. "You're never home! You never help! I'm so exhausted every day, and I just need a little help, and you never do because you're never home!"

"I just offered to help you! And if you want help, we can get somebody - "

"I don't want help from a stranger! I'd rather do it myself! I have it taken care of!" I yelled. "I'm just the exhausted pregnant woman. I don't need help from my wonderful fiancé."

"Exhausted from what? I should be the exhausted one! I'm the one running around school, sports, and a job! You just sit around with a baby all day!"

"How _dare_ you."

He got up from the couch, and grabbed his bag. I stared at him long, and hard, thinking over what he just said.

"It's not as easy as it looks." I yelled to him as he stood in the doorway. "You think that sitting around all day and waiting for you to get home is _fun_? You think that I _like _changing diapers, and putting her to bed, and feeding her all by myself? Because I don't."

"This isn't as easy as it looks either." He said with his back to me, then slammed the door.

He slammed the door with so much force, that I flinched. But once he was gone, I groaned loudly, and stomped off into the bedroom, where I threw myself onto the bed and screamed into a pillow.

My frustration was through the roof. This is not at all how I had expected all of this to go. Not at all. In my mind, it had been picture perfect. I'd be busy taking care of my perfect baby in my perfect house, while I waited for my perfect lover to get home.

Instead, I'm taking care of my of my screaming baby, in my tiny house while I wait for my irrational boyfriend to get home.

I screamed into the pillow again before I sat up on the bed and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a thud and fell to the ground soundlessly. I ran my fingers through my hair and took a took breath, placing a hand on my belly. The baby kicked.

The baby kicked, and Edward missed it. I frowned.

I don't even know what to think right now. Two minutes ago I was fuming at him, and now I'm upset that he missed our baby kicking for the first time.

"Goddamn hormones." I muttered, and waddled into the kitchen for a glass of water. I drank it slowly, and closed my eyes as I chugged down three glasses. The water helped calm my nerves. I could actually think straight now.

I hadn't even realized that Aveline had stopped screaming. I went to her bedroom, put the glass of water down and, even though I really shouldn't be doing this anymore, leaned down to pick her up, and hold her in my arms.

She looked at me with wide, innocent, green eyes. "Daaaa." She said. This is her way of saying daddy. I simply kissed her forehead and walked into the living room with her. She kept repeating that over and over to herself like she was singing. "Daaa. Daaaa. Daaa." Her vocabulary is clearly limited.

I carefully put her down, and she ninja crawled over to her toys. She squealed loudly when she picked one up, and played by herself. I, on the other hand, lounged on the couch and closed my eyes.

I thought about the wedding. The new baby. Then Aveline. And finally, Edward. Our fight was stupid. It was all a matter of miscommunication. And my hormonal, and emotional explosion. Maybe we both feel underappreciated. I'm sure that school, cross country, and work every day is tough. But taking care of a baby all day is no walk in the park either.

On top of that, the wedding is only two months away, and Aveline's birthday is next month. Now until February is going to be ridiculously hectic. My mind flashed back to last year, before Aveline was even born, when Edward told me to take "baby steps." I decided that that still applied now.

So, first is first - fixing this argument with the love of my life.

While I waited, I fed Aveline (who was slowly adjusting to baby food, but still wasn't too much of a fan), and bathed her (which she still hates). I put her in pajamas and let her play with the puppy for a little while before I put her into bed for the night. She screamed and cried until she eventually fell asleep. By that point, Edward still wasn't back, so I made a quick dinner for myself. I heated up the leftover rice from last night, and opened up a can of olives while that cooled.

Still no Edward.

It wasn't until I was watching reruns of _Friends _an hour later when the doorknob jiggled. The dog yelped quietly and ran over, her paws digging into the carpet. Edward walked in, and dropped his bag on the floor. He knelt down to pet the puppy before he closed the door behind him.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." I said, and sat up on the couch. He wandered into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He walked back into the living room and sat on the opposite side of the couch from me.

I took a deep breath, and turned to face him. "This is stupid."

"I know." Edward admitted, and put his glass down.

"You work hard. I know that. Your days are long, and I'm sure that you are tired when you get home. But, I'm tired when you get home too." I explained. "Staying at home isn't as fun as it looks. It's boring. And taking care of a baby with another on the way isn't fun either."

"I was wrong to say that." He scooted closer to me. "I appreciate what you do for our family."

"I appreciate what you do too."

Edward tucked a strand of hair out of my ear. "I owe you an apology."

"I owe you one too."

"No." He shook his head. "You don't. I'm used to this. I'm used to going to school, then cross country, and work. I did this for my entire senior year! But you're not used to this. You had help last year, and now you don't. I'm sorry, Bella. I'm going to help you out more."

"Edward, wait." I stopped him. "I don't want you putting all of this on yourself. I need to be just as understanding as you are to make this work. And I am. I get that your days are long. And it's okay that you want to relax when you get home, but…" I took a deep breath, and finally gave in. "Some help every once in a while would be nice. But help from you. Not some random person"

He smiled.

"And I can help you too. With school, and stuff. I mean, I'm not much of a science or a math person, but I did pretty well! I can help you figure it out." I offered.

Edward laughed. "If it makes you feel any better - "

"It will. It's teamwork. Isn't that what marriage is all about?"

He considered it, and then moved closer. "I think that's part of it."

"Well, what's the other part?"

"This." He said, and pressed his lips against mine.

There were no more words.

* * *

**So, um… I'm only twenty five reviews away from the big four hundred… would you guys maybe wanna help me out with that? I'll consider two chapters this weekend if that happens…. **

**Oh yeah. AND I need your opinion - a boy or a girl!?**

**I love you guys. (:**

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**


	26. Something Old

**Oh. My. God.**

**You guys are really fantastic. Honestly, you are. I wasn't even expecting to hit 400 reviews, and you guys got me to **_**416**_**. That's a big number. I mean, like, a ridiculous number. I'm still in shock. Wow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**That also makes me a terrible person because I said that I would update twice. And I (obviously didn't), which is not a cool. I'll see what I can do tonight, but I've been procrastinating homework, so… we'll see!**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter! I hope it makes you smile. **

* * *

_BPOV  
_

Edward has been trying his best to be more involved in the wedding, and around the house. Of course it's not easy for him, but he tries. When we gets home every day, we take turns showering - one of us stays with Aveline while the other enjoys ten minutes of relaxing. I make dinner while he does homework. Sometimes I help him study while I cook. We switch out who feeds Aveline. But we _both_ put her to bed at night.

It gets a little hectic sometimes - like when Aveline is being stubborn, or Edward takes so long in the shower that there's barely any hot water left -, but we somehow make it all work. It's just gotten some taking used to.

Once Aveline is asleep every night, we talk about the wedding. With only one month and two weeks until the big day, we still have so much to do. Edward and I sat down together one night and made a big list of things done, and things needed to do.

_Things done: _Booked venue (two rooms, both with huge windows, and hardwood floors), invites picked out (simple ones made on the computer) _and_ the guest list, as well as the flowers (blue, and white lilacs). Esme is going to be our caterer, and Jasper has agreed to do our photography. And we have entertainment - Jasper's friends agreed to come out here and play for free.

_Things to be done: _Get a wedding dress, pick out a wedding party, get all the decorations (which are in the process of being made, and bought), get bridesmaids dresses, get tuxes, send out the wedding invites, get a wedding ring, and see about a honeymoon.

I don't know if we can do all that in the time we have left. It's definitely going to be chaotic.

Since Alice can't be here to help me out, Violet has been. She comes over almost every day and helps me with decorations while Seth and Aveline play together. It feels nice having a friend over. Normal, even.

Today we're at Hobby Lobby picking out some vintage-like decorations for the invitations before we send them off. Edward and I typed them on the computer and printed them on nice paper, but Violet and I had agreed that they'd look more "wedding-ish" if we bought scraps of lace for them.

So, here, we are.

Aveline in one trolley, Seth in the other, and we're walking down the aisles together - two pregnant, nineteen year old girls with babies in our carts. I'm sure it was quite the sight!

"Oh, here are some mason jars. You were thinking about those, weren't you?" Violet pointed out, and came to a stop. She picked up the small glass jar with a sticker on the top that read "Sale! $1!"

"Yeah, I was. Alice wants to put some candles in them, I think."

"That sounds pretty. How many?"

"All of them." I said. Even if that was too much, I would find some use for them around the house. Mason jars are adorable, and not just for weddings.

Violet struggled to bend down, and started handing me the jars two at a time. I carefully put them in the cart, and counted as she passed them up. Two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen… we ended up with sixteen in total. Once that was settled in, we waddled around the store until we found scraps of lace for twenty cents a piece. I loaded them into the cart.

We looked for anything else that would be considered vintage. And anything that Alice had put on the list of things to get. We bought some clothes pins and string (courtesy of my lovely sister-in-law), along side some fake flower petals.

The checkout was cheaper than I had thought - under $50. I swiped the credit card, and we walked back out to the car together. I put Aveline in her seat, Violet put Seth in his, and we met back up in the front seat.

"So, what are you having?" I asked Violet as a red light.

She put her hand on hr stomach, and smiled. "A little girl. I'm so excited."

"Oh, Violet." I smiled for her. "That's so great!"

"Dylan's really happy too. I know that he wanted another little girl, but I think that he's just as excited about her." Violet laughed, and ran her hands through her black hair. "What about you? Boy or girl?"

"No clue, yet." I sighed. "We went to the doctor and the baby was in a weird position, so we couldn't see."

Violet frowned. "That sucks. When's your next appointment? Once you find out we can go baby shopping together!"

"November 14." I said, and smiled, and continued to drive down the road. "I really want to find out the gender. So badly. It's killing me." I laughed.

"What do you think it is?"

"Huh." I thought about it for a minute. "I feel a lot bigger this time. And I've been eating a lot more too. I'm tempted to say it's a boy, but… I feel like she may be a girl." Once again, I don't really care what the baby is. I just want to know.

"You have to call me the second you find out." Violet said. "Imagine if it is a little girl, though. The three of them could all be best friends."

"Or if it's a boy, and they end up falling in _love_." We both giggled.

That'd be an interesting twist. If our children ended up together. That would be something to laugh at. Us hanging out and being so much alike is already ironic enough. For them to fall in love… that would be ridiculous. The more I thought about it, the more impossible it sounded. I suddenly felt stupid for thinking this over. Aveline has a long way to go before boys will be in the picture. She's not even one yet!

We were back at the apartment now, so we grabbed the bags, and the babies, and hurried upstairs. The dog was whining in her little dog crate when we walked in, so I put Aveline down, and ran over to let her out.

The two of us got everything settled. We fed the kids, and once they had full bellies, we put them down for a nap. Aveline, who usually screams when I put her down, didn't this time. She seemed comforted with her friend.

Violet and I both sat on the couch with the bags from Hobby Lobby around us, and worked on the invitations. We hot glued lace onto the edges of the invites, and it made them look a thousand times more elegant.

While we did this, I turned on the television, and we watched some random movie, which proved to be a massive mistake. One day chick flick and two pregnant teenagers does not make a good combo.

Of all movies in the goddamn word, _Marley & Me_.

"W-w-w-hy does the dog have to d-d-d-die?" Violet sobbed. Her voice cracked on the "die."

I coughed, and grabbed a handful of the toilet paper we were using for tissues. "He was such a good d-d-dog…"

"And when they buried him…"

"Her clearance puppy!"

We both burst into tears again.

In fact, we cried together for a good twenty minutes after the movie was finished. When we were both done, our eyes were red, and our noses were stuffy. We looked at each other for a long moment, and laughed.

"Hormones." I said.

"Oh god. I know." She laughed again, and put her hand on her stomach. "Ugh. I want some doughnuts."

I gasped. Oh, that sounded so good. "Glazed."

"No, with chocolate on top."

"Cream stuffed."

"Jelly."

"And a milkshake!" I cried. "I want a milkshake, too!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I want myself a big-ass chocolate milkshake." She unlocked her phone and checked the time. "Dylan will be done with class for the day soon."

"Will he bring us some?"

"I'll call him."

We waited a good fifteen minutes for class to be over with, before she called him. She waited and waited until he finally picked up on the fourth ring. She put it on voicemail so that I could hear too.

"Hey, Vy." Dylan said. "What's wrong?"

"Baby, I'm hungry."

"Well, we have plenty of food in the pantry. We just went to the store."

"Yeah, but… I want doughnuts."

"Doughnuts?"

"And a milkshake." She said. "Actually, two milkshakes."

"But, we have cake mix in the - "

"I don't want cake!" Violet cried. "I'm hungry, and I'm pregnant, and all I want are some goddamn doughnuts, and a milkshake!"

Dylan sighed heavily. "Fine. What doughnuts do you want?"

"I want glazed, and chocolate covered, and cream filled, and jelly filled." Violet ranted off excitedly. She looked over at me and smiled. "And two chocolate milkshakes. Oh yeah, fries kind of sound good now, too."

"Kay. Just five me twenty minutes, okay?"

"Okay. Oh, I'm at Bella's house, so just bring them over here. I love you."

"I know. I love you, too. Bye."

Violet and I looked at each other and smiled. Food is definitely the way to a girl's heart. Especially if she's six months pregnant.

It took a while for Dylan to get down here. In the meantime, we cleaned up all of our used tissues, and got back to working on the decorations. The invitations were finally finished, so we put those in a safe place, and started wrapping some of the extra lace around the lids of the mason jars. It was a nice touch.

We were about halfway down with the jars when there was a knock on the door. I jumped up as fast as a pregnant person can, and opened the door. Dylan was standing there with two boxes of doughnuts in his hands, two Styrofoam cups, and a bag from McDonald's.

"You guys better share." I teased.

"I guess we can spare you a doughnut or two." I teased, and let him in.

He put all of the food on the coffee table, and whistled at all of the work he had done. He picked up a mason jar and looked through the murky glass. "Nice. It's going to be hard for Vy and I to top this!"

"Of course it is. They have that Alice girl helping them!" Violet laughed, and opened the box of doughnuts. She pulled out a chocolate one and practically ate the entire thing in one bite. I grabbed a glazed. Dylan ate a cream stuffed one.

I wished that Edward was here.

I pulled out my phone and sent him a quick text. _I hope you had a good day, and have an even better practice. I miss you. See you soon. (: _A text obviously isn't nearly as good as him being here with me, but it'll have to count for something.

Violet and I ate to our heart's content. I ate six doughnuts alone. She ate another six. All of the fries were gone, and so were our milkshakes. My stomach literally felt like it was about to explode by the time I was done. I lay back on the couch with my feet kicked up, and closed my eyes.

We sat like for forever. Or, until Dylan came over and told Violet that they needed to get home and get Seth ready for bed. Violet groaned and somehow managed to sit up.

"I'll see you later, Bella." She said from the doorway. I had yet to get up from the couch.

"See ya." I mumbled, and buried my face into a pillow, until I decided that I should get Aveline out of bed. If I didn't wake her up now, she would never sleep tonight. I drank a quick glass of water, then waddled into her bedroom.

I picked her up, and slowly walked into the living room, where I sat back on the couch. Her eyes were barely open, and she looked at me very unhappily. "Hi there, sleepyhead." I whispered, and held her out in front of me. "Come on, it's time to wake up."

It took her a minute, but she finally opened her eyes fully.

"There we go." I said, and put her on the floor. She immediately stood up, and held onto the edge of the couch, looking up at me with wide green eyes that were screaming 'pick me up, mommy!'.

I shook my head and helped her back up. She sat on my legs and put her hands on my belly, patting it softly. She looked confused. Terrified, even. I laughed and put my own hand on my belly.

Edward walked through the door an hour later - which is later than normal. I smiled when he came in wearing sweat pants, and a long sleeved running shirt. He smiled back and walked over to us.

"Hey, there." He said, and kissed my cheek.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"It was fine. Much better now." He admitted with a cheesy smile.

"How sweet." I laughed.

"That is my middle name." Edward joked. "What were you thinking about for dinner? I don't have homework tonight, so I can help."

I groaned. "Doughnuts."

He raised one eyebrow. "Doughnuts?"

"Yes. Doughnuts." I repeated myself, and told him the story of how Violet and I had begged Dylan to bring us food. And he had. And now my stomach was on the verge of exploding. Overeating is _never _fun.

"Alright, doughnuts it is!" Edward laughed. "Oh. I have something for you." He picked Aveline up and put her next to her toys, then knelt by me. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, blue box. "I know that we were supposed to do this together, but," he handed it to me, and I opened it. Sitting inside was a beautiful ring. Intricate designs and tiny hearts were twisted into the silver band of the ring with a shining diamond in the middle.

"Oh my god." I whispered. "Edward, where did you get this?"

"I drove down to Forks today to get it from my mom. It's was my grandmother's." He explained.

"I love it. I can't wait to wear it." I smiled.

"Why don't you try it on?" He suggested. "Incase we need to get it resized."

"Okay." I whispered. He picked up my hand and slid it on. A perfect fit. I held it up in the light, and watched as it sparkled. I couldn't have imagined anything more perfect for my wedding ring. It looked like a million little stars on my finger, aligning gracefully as a symbol of my love for him.

Edward held up my hand and kissed my finger.

A love to last a lifetime.

* * *

**I was having trouble ending this chapter. I didn't really know how to end it, but I knew that I didn't want to keep going on with it. If that makes sense. Since I may not be updating today and I said I'd update twice, I'll tell you what to expect in the next few chapters: birthday, gender, dress. ;)  
****I love you guys!**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley.**

**P.S. BOY OR A GIRL. I already know what I _think_ it'll be, but... you know, I like to hear from you guys!**


	27. Ditch The Whole Scene

**I never update on Friday's, so, you're probably wondering why I did. And I actually have a reason. First off, I didn't update last week, and I'm really sorry about that. Second, I'm going out of town this weekend **_**and **_**I have a track meet. Therefore…. I won't be able to update this Sunday at all. So instead of being a horrible person and not writing for two weeks straight, I have decided to update early!**

**Oh, and before I start off this chapter… next weekend is the one year anniversary of People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine! One year. Wow. That's a full 365 days. So, I just wanted to so thank you to all you crazy people who have stuck with me for those entire 365 days. Or if you've started reading recently. Or whenever. It means a lot.**

**I'm ranting. I'm sorry. I'll start the chapter now.**

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_BPOV_

"What a beautiful family." The doctor said as we walked into the office. She wore her long, light brown hair on top of her baby-shaped head in a high ponytail.

Today is my six month checkup. Six months! That gives me a short three months until this little monster is finally here. The reality of how close that is is finally beginning to set in, and my stress level has been through the roof lately. Maybe it's hormones, or maybe it's just me. I can't tell. All I know is that it needs to stop before I explode.

"Thank you." I said, as I waddled in. I was surprised that I even fit through the door. Edward walked in behind me with little Aveline in his arms. She, turning one in a few days, babbled to herself and looked at Edward with emerald green eyes.

Her features are finally beginning to fill in. Her skin is porcelain pale, which takes after the both of us, while her eyes are strikingly green, like her daddy. For an almost one year old, her hair is long, falling to her chest, and is straight like mine. Pink lips, button nose, thick eyebrows. She looks just like me.

"Why don't you take a seat?" She suggested.

I somehow managed to get myself onto the little bed with the wrinkly paper. Every time I moved, it crunched. I tried to stay as still as possible, but that wasn't as easy as it sounds. Just one deep breath made it crinkle.

The doctor lifted up the hem of my shirt, and we listened to the heartbeat. Oh, the beautiful sound of baby's heart. It sounded identical to what Aveline's had sounded like just a year ago. Like a freight train. I closed my eyes and thought of my baby… happy, warm, and loved.

"You hear that, Ava?" Edward whispered to Aveline, who looked startled by the noise. "That's your sister."

She still looked unsure of the noise. Edward chuckled to himself and ran his hand up and down her back reassuringly. He whispered something in her ear, and she laughed. I raised my eyebrow. Could she understand him?

"That's a nice heartbeat. Strong. Healthy." The doctor smiled and stopped the heart monitor, then moved onto my favorite part: the ultrasound. She lifted my shirt up a little higher and squirted the spotted blue gel onto my stomach. I stared up at the screen in anticipation.

"Hmm…" She mused to herself. "There's the head…" She pointed the screen. "And the hands. It looks like he's waving at you." I squinted my eyes, and sure enough, the little hand was held up. Edward and I both laughed. "And the legs… the feet… your baby looks healthy."

That was definitely fine by me. Healthy meant happy. And if my baby is happy, then I'm happy.

"You wanted to know the gender?" The doctor asked us. We both nodded excitedly, and anxiously. We've been wanting to know the gender of this baby for so long now. The fact that we're already this far along in the pregnancy is unreal.

Edward crossed his fingers.

I took a deep breath. The paper crinkled.

She looked around on the screen for a while, then hit a key, and froze it. She studied it for a long while. I tried to figure out what it was myself, but it looked like a big blur of black and grey to me.

"It's a girl."

A girl. _A girl. _Another girl. I couldn't help but smile. The little baby in my tummy is a girl. Aveline is going to have a little sister to play with, and talk to, and grow up with. I looked over at Edward, and even though he had been hoping for a boy, he was smiling too.

I reached over to grab his hand, and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

"A girl." I whispered.

"A girl." He nodded, and kissed my forehead.

She asked us if we had any more questions, and we both said no. She told us to schedule our next appointment sometime soon so that she could check on the baby again. And she also reminded me that I shouldn't be holding Aveline anymore. We thanked her, and walked out of the office in complete bliss. I was so happy that I wanted to start dancing right then and there. A warm feeling spread throughout me, and this smile was seemingly permanent on my face.

We walked to the car, and once Edward buckled Aveline into her car seat, he drove away from the hospital parking lot. I rested my hand on my belly and stared out the window as we drove away.

"Where to now?" Edward asked.

"David's Bridal." I said. I wasn't so sure about this earlier, but now I was perfectly happy with wedding dress shopping. At this point, nothing could have downed my mood. "So you'll have to find something to do. Since you can't see the dress until the wedding."

He frowned. "But I like seeing you in pretty dresses."

I laughed. "I know you do, but your sister won't like it. And besides… it'll just make our wedding day even more special." I smiled at him. "Maybe you can take Aveline somewhere."

"Like where?"

I shrugged. "The park? Home? Over to Dylan's? You can do a lot of things."

"Looks like you're stuck with me for the day, Ava!" Edward called out to our daughter, who was sleeping soundly in the backseat.

"Wow. You're _already _boring her to death."

"It's only because you're in the car."

"Why did I decide to marry you again?" I asked as he pulled into the parking lot of the wedding dress shop. Alice's car sat among the other cars, and if you looked hard enough, you could see her standing at the front of the store.

"I think it's because you love me."

"Something like that." I unbuckled my seatbelt and kissed him. He kissed me back, softly, and smiled. "Be careful with my daughter." I warned him playfully as I pushed the door open.

"Yes ma'am." He saluted me, and I slammed the door shut.

I fixed my red blouse, and walked as quickly as I could into the store. The minute I walked in, Alice gasped, and ran over to me. Her arms barely fit around my huge stomach when she pulled me into a hug. I could literally feeling the excitement bouncing off of her.

I took a step back, and took a minute to see if she had changed in the past few months. Not much was different. Her hair looks a little darker, and her eyes looked more lively (as if that were possible). She looked happy.

"Oh my god, Bella." Alice smiled, and looked at my belly. "You've gotten so big! And I don't mean that in a bad way."

I put my hand on my stomach again and laughed. "It's okay. I _am _getting big. This little girl is killing me."

"So, it's a girl?"

"Yes. It's a girl. We just found out today." I smiled again.

"I knew it! Aw. I'm so happy for the both of you. Really, Bella. Congratulations." She hugged me again. Lighter this time. More heartfelt, and intimate. I couldn't wait for us to be sisters. That would make everything all the better. "I just need to tell my dear Edwardo the same thing."

"I'll tell him for you."

"Nah. It's okay. I like to see his face when I call him Edwardo. It's actually really funny." She shook her head. "Anyway, are you ready to try some dresses on?"

"Well, that is what we're here for."

Alice threw her eyes into the back of her head. "Alright then, Miss Smarty Pants. Let's get this show on the road."

We wandered into the store, and started looking through the racks, and racks, and _racks _of dresses. There were so many to choose from! There was strapless and v-neck, then white and cream, sparkles or lace… if it was a possibility, then it was here. Alice and I both spent a good twenty minutes searching through the dresses. They make it look so easy on t.v.!

"How about this?" She held up a long, sleek white dress with a deep neckline. I instantly shook my head. Showing off my belly is already enough. I don't need to flaunter my boobs, too.

I pulled out the train of a ruffled, princess gown dress and shuddered.

"Why don't you at least try one on? I mean, there has to be something in here that will work in your price range."

"It's just hard when your stomach is the size of Jupiter." I frowned.

Alice grabbed a random dress from the rack and handed it to me. "Here, let's try this one on. It can't look that bad."

Oh, how I wish she was right.

She hurried me into the nearest dressing room that she could find, and I somehow managed to squeeze into the dress. I turned, and looked in the mirror in absolute horror. The dress was a hideous cream color, and it looked like a cloth on my body, except for my stomach. It made my pregnant belly look even bigger than normal.

"I'm not sure about this dress." I called to Alice.

"Show me."

"But, I'm not - "

"Show me!"

I groaned loudly, and pushed the curtain over. The second I walked out, Alice toppled over with laughter. I made a face and looked in the mirror, holding up the train of the dress.

"It's not that bad…." I said, trying to make it sound a little better in my head.

"It has, uh, potential." Alice snickered.

"Bella, what _are _you wearing?" A voice from across the room called. I looked around, trying to pinpoint where the voice had come from, and who it was. They sounded familiar. Very familiar.

Alice turned her head and gasped. I followed her when I saw.

"_Rosalie_?" We cried in unison.

"Surprise!" She said, and dropped her bags. I picked up the bottom of my dress and ran over to her. It's been ages since I've last seen Rosalie. She and Emmett left just after graduation, and we haven't talked much since. Seeing her here right now was like a dream.

We hugged. As soon as I pulled away, she put her hand against the edge of my stomach and smiled. "Boy, isn't it?"

"Nope. Girl."

Rosalie's eyes widened. "Wow. You look so… so…"

"Big."

"I wouldn't have worded it exactly like that, but, yeah. Big." She laughed. "But still cute. I'll have to say that you pull off a baby bump beautifully. It's like you were born to be pregnant."

"Yeah, well I think this is the last one for a long time. I don't want to think about having another baby right now."

"You have to give the rest of us a turn." She winked, then turned to Alice. "What in the world do you have this girl trying on? It's a wedding not a dumper dive."

"Nice to see you too!"

"I know, it's been ages. But, really, what were you thinking?"

"You try and find a dress for a pregnant girl. It's not as easy as it looks."

"Well, you know, looking in the maternity section always helps." Alice and I looked at each other like we were both the biggest idiots in the world. We probably are. "Give me ten minutes, and I will find the perfect dress."

And she was off.

Meanwhile, I stumbled back into the dressing room and changed out of this god-awful dress. I'll have to agree with Rosalie on this one. That really was a terrible dress. And of all people, Alice picked it out. Alice - the queen of clothes. Hopefully Rose would get a better pick.

I waited. I tapped my foot on the ground. I checked my phone. I didn't hear a knock on my door until fifteen minutes later. And when I heard it, I saw a plastic bag fly over the top. I cursed, and nearly tripped as it fell into my arms.

I figured that this was her dress pick.

Slowly, I pulled the dress out of the bag and stepped into it. It felt lose, and not nearly as tight and irritating as the other dress. I pulled it up over my stomach, and it surprisingly fit very well. I looked in the mirror, and smiled.

The strapless, sweetheart neckline was very flattering to my figure. And on the neckline, there were flowy ruffles . The dress itself was plain and simple, with bits of lace dancing towards the long skirt. The bottom had the same lace and ruffles as the rest of the dress.

I felt beautiful. I felt like a princess. I felt like a bride.

I checked the price tag. Only one hundred dollars.

"I'm coming out." I said, and pushed the curtain open.

The second I stepped out, both Rosalie and Alice's hands went straight to their gaping mouths. I smiled, and pulled the skirt away from my legs s they could see it. I walked around in a little circle to show them the full dress.

"Oh, Bella…"

"You look so beautiful." Alice smiled. She thought for a minute then jumped up, returning moments later with a long, flowing, lace veil. She stood on her tiptoes to fit it in my hair, but once she did, I felt even more beautiful than before.

It felt weird trying on my second dress and feeling this way, but I couldn't help it. Nothing could be more perfect that this dress. I wiped the falling tears from my eyes and took a shaky breath.

"Don't cry! You're supposed to be happy!"

"I am happy!" I protested, and burst into tears again. "I just can't believe that I'm getting married! And that I found the dress!"

"Wait," Rosalie interrupted, "you're getting the dress?"

"Of course I am! It's so perfect."

"My pick wins! I vote that Alice takes us all out for Starbucks."

Alice's face was shocked.

"That's what you get for picking out an ugly dress."

She sighed. "Fair enough. I guess that Starbucks is on me."

I went back into the dressing room to change, and I didn't want to change out of it. I wanted to sit here and admire the perfect of the dress forever and ever. But I couldn't do that. Starbucks was on the line! I took a picture of myself in the dress instead, and reluctantly changed back into my plain jeans and red blouse.

Once I was changed, I happily paid for the dress and veil, then we all drove to the nearest Starbucks (and since this is Seattle, is was less than a five minute drive).

The November air was cold, so I hurried into the warm coffee shop, where my friends were already waiting. Rosalie's arms were wrapped around her chest as she looked up at the menu. She's the one always willing to try something new. As long as it's strong. Alice loves anything fun and sweet. I always get hot drinks. Always.

Rosalie ordered a macchiato. Alice, bless her heart, ordered a frappuccino in twenty degree weather. I settled for a salted caramel mocha. When our drinks were ready, we sat on the couches they had - Rose and I on one, and Alice by herself on the chair.

"So," Alice said, crossing her legs on the chair, "what are you doing for your bachelorette party?"

"I'm not having one."

"Bella! You have to have one!" Alice cried.

"I had one."

"I don't know… it's just not me." I sighed. "I can't drink, for one. I'm pregnant. And, I've never really wanted one. I don't need to embrace my last night being single. I've practically been married for a year now."

Rosalie nodded in agreement. "I can see where you're coming from."

"But, you have to have one."

"No."

"Bella, come on. It'll be fun! And don't have to do bad things. It'll be good things. We can just go to all of these fun places, and - "

"Why are you so intent on me having a bachelorette party?"

Alice was suddenly silent. She looked down at her coffee, and bit her lip. Rose and I looked at each other in question. Alice was never the one to suddenly go mute. Except for when she's hiding something. I put my coffee down on the table.

"Alice…"

She looked up at me. "Yes?"

"What aren't you telling us?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I raised both of my eyebrows at her. She can't play this game with us, and she knows that. We've known her for practically our entire lives. We know when something is up.

"Okay, fine. I give up. Just promise that you won't be pissed?" She looked sincere, and extremely apologetic. My stomach tightened. I had no idea what the big secret was. I hoped that it wasn't anything bad.

"As long as you didn't kill anyone…" I said, trying to lighten the mood.

She smiled a little before she jumped into her story. "So, for the past few months, I've been planning your wedding. Right?" We both nodded. "Well, I haven't just been planning your wedding."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked slowly. I took a sip of my drink in anticipation.

Alice sighed. "I mean that… that… I've been planning mine too."

I choked.

"You're…. engaged?!"

"Hehe. Surprise."

We made her tell us all of the details. She said that Jasper proposed a little after we announced our engagement, and she didn't want us to feel like she was intruding on our spotlight. So, they agreed to keep it quiet for the time being. And while she was picking stuff out for our wedding, she was also planning hers. That's why she wanted to do things to often, and why she was so thorough.

"I'm so sorry. It's selfish of me." Alice shook her head.

I leaned forward and put my hand on her arm. "No. It's not selfish." I smiled. "I'm really happy for you. You're not taking anything from me. I hate attention anyway."

"Are you sure?" She asked softly.

"I'm positive. Go ahead and plan _your _wedding like you want."

"You're the best ever, Bella." Alice cried, and leaned in for a hug. I hugged her back, and patted her back softly. I suddenly felt awful for all of those times I had yelled at her for being so excited about wedding plans. The poor thing was excited for her own wedding!

"I swear, this family should have their own reality show." Rosalie joked, and we all laughed.

"You know," I began, and took another sip of my coffee, which was almost gone now, "maybe I should have a bachelorette party. But not like an actual bachelorette party. More like a girl's night. We can just go out for dinner or something. Kind of like this."

The two of them smiled.

"Let's do it."

"That'd be a great idea." Rose said. "I'm going to be down here for a while. Well, in Forks anyway. Emmett decided to take some unexpected time off. We're visiting Esme tomorrow. But she doesn't know, so don't say anything!"

"I know I won't." Alice said. "I think I'm pretty good with secrets."

"Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead…" Rosalie sang the theme song to the show _Pretty Little Liars_, and I immediately flashed back to Friday night's at the Cullen's house. Just me and my best friends against the world.

I missed that a lot. More than I thought. I looked down in my purse and saw the green light flashing in the corner - a new text. I pulled it out and checked the message while Alice and Rose continued to sing the song in unison.

_I hope you're having fun with Alice, and wedding dress shopping. Can't wait for you to come home. Maybe a movie once Aveline is asleep?_

From Edward. I checked the time. It was almost seven. I turned my phone off and dropped it into my purse. Tonight it's just me and my friends against the world, and nothing can stop us.

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**End chapter. I've had this idea for a while. Bringing Alice and Rosalie into it. The song "22" inspired this chapter, and really helped me write the last line. Anyway… hope you liked it! Review? Maybe? It'd be great, and I'd love you for forever.**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley.**


	28. 365

**Hey. Wow. I'm terrible. Sorry for not updating. It's been hectic lately. But here's a nice chapter to hopefully brighten up your Monday. It's disgusting and rainy here. Updating a chapter makes it better. (:**

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BPOV

At seven in the morning on November 13, there was a loud knock on the door. So loud, that I awoke with a jump. My heart thudded in my chest, and I lost all feeling in my stomach. It sounded like someone was trying to break in.

I sat up in bed, and instinctively put my hand over my stomach, protecting my little girl. I looked over to my side. Edward was sound asleep with his hand underneath the pillow. His eyes were closed, and he breathed deeply in his sleep.

"Edward!" I screamed out to him in a whisper. He stirred. "Edward!" Still nothing. I hit him in the head with a pillow and he jumped up, slamming his head against the wooden bed frame.

"Agh, shit!"

"There's something at the door!"

He held his hand against his now throbbing head and rubbed it slowly with his eyes squeezed close. "What do you mean there's something at the door?" He sounded pained.

As if timed, there was another banging on the door, followed by a familiar voice yelling, "You two have had all night to be in bed together; open up!" We both looked at each other and sighed.

"Alice." We said in unison.

I wasn't expecting her this early. Forks is three hours away from Seattle, which means that she must have left at _four in the morning_. I rolled my eyes as I pulled myself out of bed, and waddled towards the front door, Edward's footsteps following shortly behind me. 'Only Alice,' I thought to myself.

Edward opened the door for me, and we stood back, neither of us prepared nor in the mood for Alice's morning perkiness.

"You two were in bed for while. We don't need another baby, do we?" She said, and walked in.

"Ha-ha. Very funny, Alice." I rolled my eyes.

She took a sip of the drink she held in her hand and put it down on the table. "Okay. So. We have a lot of things to do today."

"Clearly." Edward mumbled underneath his breath.

"That's why I've called for backup. The rest of us will be here soon. They claimed that they 'needed ten minutes to wake themselves up.' I mean, come on, people, it's only seven in the morning! We have things to do!"

I knew exactly who she meant by "the rest of the crew" too. Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. Sometimes Edward's parents. I had a feeling that they weren't all for joining their peppy daughter for a car ride at four in the morning, though.

"How fantastic." I said, and looked over at Edward. He tried to smile, trying to stay positive, but was doing a very bad job at it. I bit my lip to stop from laughing.

"So, I'd go get Aveline now. If you don't, Em will probably knock something over - like usual - and wake her up." She suggested. "They'll be here soon."

Acting like servants for the queen, Edward and I both walked into Aveline's room. I quietly pushed the door open and tiptoed over to her crib. Seven is usually when we get her up anyway, since it's around when Edward leaves for school during the week.

I looked down in the crib, and there was my little angel. She was sprawled out on her back, arms out wide, and legs curled towards her. Her pink lips were puffed out, and her eyelids fluttered in her dreams.

Edward smiled beside me. It was hard not to. She was just too cute.

I reached into the crib, and grabbed her little hand with my finger, shaking it a little. She stirred and shook her head in her sleep. "Hey Ava." I said to her, my voice going an octave higher than usual, "it's time to wake up."

She breathed a little deeper, through her nose, and squinted a little.

Edward put his hand on her head and ran his fingers through her hair. "Come on, big girl."

Aveline yawned loudly, and slowly opened her eyes. She looked a little dazed, and confused. I laughed at her current state and gave her little hand a squeeze. She looked up at me and blinked a few times. Edward leaned into the crib and picked her up. She held onto my finger the entire time.

I took a step closer to her and smiled. "Hi, sweetie."

Her head fell to the side as she tried to go back to sleep. I supported it back up with my hand on her cheek. She looked at me and widened her big, green eyes. I laughed again. "Happy birthday, Ava."

One year today. One whole year. Three-hundred sixty-five days. Fifty two weeks. 31,536,000 seconds. All of that time spent with my darling baby girl. I still couldn't believe that all of that time has gone by. It excited me, and it also scared me.

I'm excited for all the memories to come, and everything that will happen in the next few years, but I'm also afraid. I'm afraid of everything flying by too quickly, and seeing it slip away from my fingers before I even have the time to enjoy it.

I try to focus on it one day at a time. Living in the moment in the best.

"Happy birthday." Edward repeated my words like an echo.

He changed her diaper for me, while I pulled out the outfit that Alice had told us - no, forced us - to put on her. Not that I minded. She was enthused by helping us out, and if that meant going out and buying clothes for her, then I was by all means going to agree.

Today's outfit was fairly simple. White tights, black Mary Jane's, and a pink princess dress that said "Birthday Girl" on the front, along with a hot pink flower head wrap. Once again - only Alice.

Once her diaper was changed, I put her in her outfit, that I have to say that she looked absolutely adorable in. I desperately wanted to hold her in my arms, but the doctor told me I needed to stop that or I would mess up my back. So, instead, I clung to Edward's side, standing as close to her as I could get.

Surprisingly, the "rest of us" had made it into the house silently. I hadn't heard a single peep. They were all sitting on the couch, doughnuts on the coffee table, and cheap coffee from down the street in their hands.

Alice looked irritated. "They told me that they were resting in the car, but they really weren't. They went down the street and got coffee! Coffee! And didn't get me any!"

"That's because caffeine is the last thing you need." Someone said. I think it was Rosalie.

She narrowed her eyes at Rose.

"I'm sorry, Alice." Jasper apologized. "I'll take you out for a coffee-breakfast as soon as we get home."

"Do you promise?" She asked, looking at him with puppy-dog eyes.

"Yes, I promise."

She smiled and kissed him. I prayed for him. Alice with coffee at seven in the morning could _not_ be a good thing.

I cleared my throat to change the conversation. "Look who it is. It's the birthday girl."

Everyone suddenly burst out into a chorus of squeals, and all ran over to her. Each and every one of them took turns holding her in their arms, and smiling, and kissing her. I still couldn't believe that it had been one year already. Is this how my dad felt with me?

Once that was over, I put Aveline next to her toys, and she started playing with them. The dog ran over and snuggled up next to her. She patted her head a little harder than the dog was expecting, but she didn't run away. She stayed next to Ava and eventually fell asleep.

Sadly, this meant that it was time to start getting ready for the party, even though it wasn't for another six hours. She claimed that was had too much work to do, and that six hours probably wasn't even enough. We all rolled our eyes at that one.

And, so, the pre-party planning began.

It started off with all of us cleaning. The apartment wasn't too bad, though. When your stuck at home all day every day… you clean a lot more than you'd expect to. That didn't take much time.

After that, Alice ran down to the car to get all of the decorations. We all sat on the couch and started blowing up pink balloons. But Emmett, being the genius he is, grabbed one of the helium balloons from the store, and sucked all of the air out of it.

"So, he calls me up and he's like, 'I still love you' and I'm like, 'ugh, I mean, this is exhausting, you know? Like we are never getting back together. Like ever.'" He said in a high pitched voice from the helium. Edward choked, and the balloon in his mouth came out, flying around the room.

Nobody said anything… until Alice burst out laughing, that is.

"What's so funny about this?" Emmett said again, still sounding like a chipmunk.

"Oh - my - god." Alice laughed, holding onto her sides. "Emmett - stop!" She hit him in the side with another pack of balloons.

"Stop what?" Everyone was rolling.

"You have to go to the store and get another balloon! Now!"

"Like this?" She nodded. "But I sound like a five year old!"

Alice laughed and shrugged her tiny shoulders. "Live and learn. Go, go, go! There's no time to waste."

Emmett looked to Rosalie for help, but she was simply laughing. We all were. He sighed, and wandered off to find his keys and drive to the store, sounding like a little girl. When he walked out of the door, we laughed for another ten minutes.

But once we finally caught out breath, we finished up all of the balloons and started hanging them around the house. Except for me. I got to stand around while they stood on ladders and countertops. Then they hung streamers. And lights. And everything else that Alice brought (and trust me, she brought a lot).

An hour later, Emmett came back. His voice still wasn't back to normal. It took him so long because he got lost but was too afraid to ask for directions with his voice like this. Another hour later, Edward's parents showed up. I was happy to see them. It had been so long. Emmett was hiding in his car by this point.

Soon the food was all set out, and music was playing softly. We hadn't invited many people. Just family, plus Violet and Dylan. They're really the only people we hang out with.

We were all sitting on the couch. Aveline was in my lap - she only just fit because of my huge stomach - and we were talking. My dad sat to my right, and Edward to my left. Everyone else was scattered around the room.

"Oh!" I said in remembrance. "I almost forgot."

"Forgot what?" Esme asked.

I smiled and put my hand on my stomach. "We're having another girl." Alice and Rose knew, but nobody else did. They all clapped and smiled. My dad put his hand on my shoulder and smiled too. I love how much more supportive of this baby he is. I can only wish that he was like this with my Aveline.

"Congrats, Bells." My dad said. "I'm real proud of you"

"Thank you, daddy." I said, and rested my head against his shoulder. Alice snapped a picture. I just shook my head and smiled while my dad awkwardly stroked my hair. I sat back up after a long while and readjusted Aveline on my lap.

"When are we doing cake?" Violet chimed in. Her cravings were clearly just as bad as mine. I'd been craving cake for the past hour, but I was too afraid to say anything.

"Now works. Is everyone okay with that?"

Everyone nodded.

I pulled the cake out of the fridge while Edward put Aveline in her little high chair and pulled it next to the table. We all gathered around while I looked for a match. I was about to light it when Edward came up behind me and put his hands over mine.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Helping you light the candle, of course."

"But why?"

"It's practice for when we cut the cake at the wedding." Lighting and candle and cutting a cake aren't quite the same thing, but I smiled anyway. He's such a sweetheart.

"Wait!" Esme called out. We both froze and turned around.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked her.

"Where's Emmett? We can't do this without Emmett. That wouldn't be fair. You guys know how much he loves cake. Especially vanilla."

The five of us all looked at each other with wide eyes. Emmett was still hiding in the car, which probably meant that his voice still wasn't back to normal. I think the last thing he wants is for his parents to hear him like that.

"Oh… uh… he's not feeling well. He's in the car."

"Someone go get him."

"Mom…" Alice began.

"No. He should be here! It's his nieces birthday. He can suck it up for ten minutes to sing happy birthday to her. Go and get him, Alice."

She hesitated for moment, but then walked out of the room to go and get her brother. I covered my mouth with my hand. This was going to get very interesting very quickly. We all waited in anticipation for her to get back. And when she did, Emmett was right behind her.

Esme smiled. "See, it wasn't that hard, now was it Emmett?"

Edward swept in to save the day before he could answer. He lit the candle, and winked at me, before he started singing "Happy Birthday" and walking towards Aveline. Everyone chimed in. Emmett moved away from his mother and mouthed the words.

I smiled as we walked towards her. Her green eyes widened like they always do, and Edward knelt down in front of her with the cake in his hands. I pretended to blow out the candles, hoping she would imitate me. She didn't, so I blew them out for her. Everyone clapped anyway.

Edward and I cut pieces of cake for everyone ("practice" as he preferred to call it), and we all made our way to the living room to eat. We even pulled the high chair into the living room so Aveline could eat her tiny piece of cake with us. I tried to feed her, but figured it was easier to just let her dig her hands into it. It is her birthday, after all.

Meanwhile, Esme was trying to have a conversation with her son, and was wondering why he wasn't answering. He pretended to eat his cake and ignore her. This, of course, made her very angry.

"Emmett Cullen. Why aren't you answering me?!"

He sighed a little. You could tell it hadn't gone back to normal.

"Emmett." She said more sternly.

"Okay, mom, you see what happened was…"

* * *

Everyone had cleared out now. All that was left was Edward, Alice, Jasper, me, and, of course, Aveline. Emmett's voice still hadn't gone back to normal, so, needless to say, they'll be spending the rest of their evening in the emergency room.

I was waddling around the house and wiping down all of the countertops. The party had left a bigger mess than I had imagined. And I thought that Aveline was bad!

I was wringing out a wet towel when I felt a small tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Alice standing there. She cleared her throat and held out her hand.

I raised my eyebrow in question. "What's the matter?"

She cleared her throat again, and her eyes flickered to the wet towel in my hand, then back to me. When I continued to stand there in confusion, she sighed heavily, annoyance in her tone, and snatched it from me.

"What the hell, Alice!"

"You've done too much today."

"Look, I'm fine. I promise you that I haven't pushed myself too far. I'm only pregnant. And it's not like I'm having triplets or anything." I pointed out. I had been proud of myself. I'd gone all day and only sat down once!

"Well," Alice began, "Rosalie and I want to spend some time alone with our niece, so you and Edward need to skedaddle."

My jaw dropped. "Are you kicking us out of our own house?" When she smiled, I shook my head in shock. "You're unbelievable!" It came out a little louder than I had expected. Edward looked at from the other side of the room and walked over with Aveline in his arms.

"What's going on?"

"Your sister is kicking us out of our house."

"Of course I am."

"May I ask why?" Edward asked.

"Rose and I just want to spend some alone time with Aveline."

"And you guys can't leave the house to do that…?"

"No." Alice said stubbornly.

"But - "

"No."

"_Come on _- "

"I said no." The inner demon inside of Alice came out. That side of her only showed when she desperately wanted something. This was clearly one of those times. Edward and I both looked at each other in defeat. She had won. "Now," Alice said, "hand me the baby. Come on."

She reached for Aveline just as Edward reluctantly handed her over. Alice cooed over her cuteness and smiled.

"What time do you want us back?" Edward asked.

"I don't know. Nine?"

I looked over at the clock. It was five now. That left Edward and I four hours out of the house together. It was a nice thought knowing that we would be able to spend some time together, but at the same time, it was horrifying. This is the first time in over a year that it'll be just the two of us. And the first time I'll be away from my little Ava.

Suddenly a lump grew in my throat, and my hands felt sweaty. I shouldn't feel this way. It's only a few hours. She'll be okay. And this is my fiancé, for god's sake. This is the man that I love. Why did I feel so nervous to be alone with him?

It is our first time going out as an official "fiancé" together. Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's just that we haven't done this in so long.

I nodded. "Nine is good."

Alice herded the two of us towards the door, grabbing a broom as she walked by it. Edward opened the door for me and I stepped through. I kissed Aveline on the cheek and smiled at her.

"Mommy will be home soon, okay?" She babbled something - in her mind, a response. I smiled and kissed her again.

"And daddy." Edward chimed in.

"Alright, alright. Have fun you two!" Alice practically yelled at us, then slammed the door in our faces.

Then we were alone.

Edward took a deep breath and offered his hand for me to hold. I felt a blush creep along my cheeks, and I took it. His hand felt perfect in mine. Warm, soft, and good. I didn't feel as nervous anymore as we walked down the hallway hand in hand.

We went down to the car, where he helped me into the passengers seat. I flattened out the skirt of my blue dress as I sat down and looked at myself in the reflection of the window. I looked decent enough. Edward climbed into the driver's seat and put the keys in the ignition.

"Where are we headed to?"

"I honestly have no clue." I admitted with a laugh.

Edward thought for a minute. "I think I have an idea." I waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn't, I raised my eyebrow. That's when he laughed. "Oh, I'm not telling you."

I frowned. "Why?"

"It's a surprise, silly Bella."

I puckered out my lips and made a face. Surprises. I hate surprises. I sighed and loosened my tense shoulders. "Okay, fine. But just this once."

Edward smiled, clearly happy that I was going along with his little plan, and started driving. I sat back in my seat and turned on the radio. It hummed softly in the car and I sang the words to the song. Edward looked over at me, and smiled.

Our first stop was, of all places, a fast food place. McDonald's.

He zoomed in through the drive-through and asked me what I wanted. I wasn't sure what he was up to. Fast food on a night out like tonight? A once in a lifetime event for us? I hesitated. My voice sounded unsure. "Uh, a burger." I said. "A number five?"

He ordered the same thing for himself along with a huge order of fries. He drove down to the next menu, paid, and got the food. We were then back on the road. Just as I was about to ask him what this was all about he pulled into _another_ drive though. Starbucks this time. Now he asked me what drink I wanted. It was cold. I asked for a hot caramel macchiato - something new on the menu. It made me think of Rosalie. Edward ordered a mocha for himself.

Then we were back on the road again. I stared at the food that he had put in the backseat.

"We're not going to another restaurant?" I asked as he pulled into the parking lot of a small strip mall. There was a Target, some food places, and a Best Buy.

He chuckled. "No, we're not even going to the store."

"Then where are we going?"

Edward slowed down and went behind the stores. I didn't think we were allowed back here, but he kept on driving like there was no problem. There was a small opening in between the trees that was very easy to miss - he turned into that. I had no clue where we were.

There was a small office with a person inside, and a bright light. Edward slowly pulled up to it and came to a stop.

"Hello." Edward said, smiling.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah. Uh," He looked at something that I couldn't see from my seat. After a long moment, he nodded his hand and handed over a twenty. "Thirteen."

"Alright. It's the first one of your right. Enjoy."

"Thank you, sir."

Edward drove down the dark road quietly. There were hardly any other cars on the road, and no lights besides the headlights from the Volvo. I wanted to know where we were going, but I was too afraid to ask. The curiosity of it all was fun, in a way.

Just like the man said, Edward turned into the first opening on the right. When he did, it clicked together.

"Oh." I said in realization.

"Surprise?"

"It is." I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder. "But a good surprise. I haven't been to the drive-in in since I was a little kid."

There it was in it's shining glory, just like I remembered it. The huge screen sat centered in the lot, surrounded by a crowd of cars parked with the lights off, and people inside. Crickets sung outside, and the moon was bright enough to show us the way. I smiled at the memories of freshly popped popcorn and trying not to fall asleep in the back of my dad's car.

Edward parked the car and jumped out. He came back a second later with a handful of pillows and blankets.

"Hm. Something is telling me that you and Alice coordinated this."

"What was your first hint?" He asked me, and winked.

We cuddled up in the backseat of the Volvo with the radio tuned in to the movie station. I sipped on my Starbucks, while the opening credits for the new movie _Safe Haven_ began. Though I'm not the biggest Nicholas Sparks fan, I'd heard the movie was good. Plus the book was fantastic.

Edward slid his arm around me. I looked up at him from the corner of my eye as he did this, straw still in my mouth, and smiled. I heard his soft heartbeat, and breathing while my head lay against his chest.

It was nice just laying here with him. I didn't even realize how much I had missed this. Going out with Edward for the night and hanging out. Just the two of us. When we didn't have to worry about coming back before a reasonable time, and we could just leave whenever we wanted to.

I tried to imagine my life without a baby, and without another one on the way. We'd probably be living in the dorms on campus. We'd sneak out to see each other in the early hours and just talk. Edward would help me study for my math classes, and I'd help him with English. Maybe we'd even have a class together. We'd be young, crazy, and wild kids in love.

But then, I wouldn't have met Violet, and that would be a bummer. She's great. I wouldn't be engaged right now, and I wouldn't have already started my beautiful family. I probably would not be in my small, yet lovely apartment right now, and I wouldn't have all of this freedom. Worst of all, I wouldn't have Aveline, and I wouldn't have this wonderful life that I had.

I'll be the first to admit that sometimes all I want to do is hang out with my best friends, and have more date nights like this with Edward. I'm nineteen years old, and that's what nineteen year olds want: to have fun. But I could not have asked for a happier, and more fantastic life. I wouldn't change any of it. Not even the bad. I like my life exactly the way it is.

* * *

**Loved that twist with Emmett. It just came to me, haha. Seemed like an Emmett thing to do. I liked writing the Edward and Bella fluff too. So cute! Since I've been bad with updating lately here's a hint to something in a chapter to come… shaving. Yes, shaving.**

**I'm almost to five hundred reviews (SCREAMING), and since the 17****th**** marked the one year of PTRATTS (ALSO SCREAMING)… you guys maybe want to help me get this story to 500? (: Or you can just give me name ideas for the baby. That'd be nice too.**

**Love, love, love,**

**Halley.**


	29. Big Belly

**I guess I'm getting lately with the Sunday updates, huh? ;)  
****I decided to give you guys a short, 2,000 word chapter (half of one), and then post the rest of it tomorrow. (Maybe. If you guys hassle me enough then I probably will… so get to hassling me!)**

**News on publishing****! I've found someone who's going to help me edit the story. I'm rewriting the entire thing. Give me some time with that. A lot is changing in the story. More things added to the plot, and a lot taken away. It's going to be really exciting!**

* * *

_BPOV_

I'd like to say one thing: weddings can get ridiculous.

I literally feel like this wedding is my life right now. When I'm not at a doctor's appointment for the new baby, or taking care of Aveline, I'm doing things for the wedding. Part of me is beginning to regret not hiring a wedding planner, because doing all of this on my own is too much pressure for one person. Let alone a pregnant person!

I do have occasional help. Rosalie is in town, and she's been great help. So has Violet. Alice has been doing what she can, but, now that the cat is out of the bag about her wedding… she's been busy with that. More like that's all she ever does anymore. She might as well get a huge "I'M GETTING MARRIED" tattoo on her forehead.

As for Edward - honestly, he's too wrapped up in studying for midterms to do much. His cross country season is over, which is a relief. He's home so much earlier now, and that makes things so much easier. Plus winter break is only weeks away. Then I have four weeks - twenty eight _glorious_ days - with him.

We haven't talked about what we'll do once the baby gets here. We hadn't planned on having another baby for a very, very, _very _long time, so this isn't something we had ever thought about. Until now.

He'll continue on with going to school. He'll have to. I'll have to suck it up with a one year old and a newborn. Go me!

I'm trying to focus one thing at a time. Right now that's the wedding. Or, more specifically, the wedding rehearsal tonight. It's out first, last, and _only _wedding rehearsal. Alice practically forced me to have at least one run-through of the wedding, and I agreed. We have less than one month before the big day, and the nerves are beginning to set in.

I'm going to be married soon. The words still felt funny to say. Any of that wedding junk did. Fiance, husband, wife. Somehow "baby" sounded perfectly normal to me. Most couples would shudder.

I don't think it's weird that it feels funny to say. Getting married is a big deal. Almost as big as having a baby! I laughed at myself and put my hand on my stomach. This is so backwards. Two kids and engaged at nineteen! Talk about out of order.

The rehearsal isn't until seven tonight. I glanced up at the clock - 3:00.

The dog slept in the corner, while Aveline sat on the floor in front of me playing with her toys. She was wearing one of the new outfits that she got for her birthday: a long sleeved white shirt, red skirt, and a knit hat.

"Ava." I said. She looked up at me and smiled, then crawled over excitedly. She put her hands on the edge of the couch and stood up. I held onto her hands and helped her balance away from the couch. I slowly pulled my hands away and she stood by herself for a little while.

I held my arms out, in hopes that she would walk over to me. She awkwardly put one foot in front of the other and literally fell into my arms. I smiled and kissed her forehead. "You'll get there, baby."

I'd been doing this with her ever since her birthday. Her turning one really motivated me to get her walking and talking now while I have time for the both of us. Once the new baby is here, it's going to be next to impossible to keep my eyes on the both of them.

Explaining the concept of a new baby to a one year old is easier said than done. Especially when the only words in her vocabulary are "no" and "dada."

She can stand up by herself for a little bit now, which is a big improvement! And I can tell that she's trying to walk, or at least understands how it works. When she does walks, it's very awkward, and she usually falls after three steps. She looks so determined when she tries - like Edward.

I kept doing this with her, helping her walk, until she got irritated with it, and started to cry: her way of telling me that she had had enough. I patted on the couch, and she dragged herself over to me. Then, very carefully, I helped her up. I tried to put her on my lap, but my stomach was too big. I sat her next to me instead.

"What should we do?" I asked her, as if she would answer. She just looked up at me. I sighed and picked up the remote, turning it to the first channel that popped up. We ended up watching a new episodes of _Say Yes to the Dress _(just to get in the wedding spirit.)

Aveline dozed off halfway through the third episode. I looked over at her and smiled. Very slowly, I stood up, and managed to pick her up, then waddled into her bedroom to put her down for a nap. My back was aching by the time I made it back to the living room.

The couch didn't seem nearly as comfortable anymore. I turned the t.v. off and wandered into the pantry. I grabbed the tub of peanut butter, and a spoon, and went into my bedroom where I sat on the bed and ate my peanut butter in peace.

The baby kicked the side of my belly. I smiled and lifted my shirt up, and touched the spot where she had kicked me.

"Do you like peanut butter?" I asked, and rubbed my belly softly. "Peanut butter is very good. I'm sure that you like it, baby."

She didn't kick again. I frowned and put the jar of peanut butter down, and lay back. My shirt was folded up, and my belly was poking out. I rested my hands on top of my stomach, and closed my eyes. I drifted off into a light sleep. It felt like I was just closing my eyes.

"Bella." Someone said.

My eyes were still closed. I decided to ignore whoever was disturbing me.

"Bella…." They said again stretching out my name. There was a sudden shift of weight on the bed. I opened my eyes and saw Edward laying beside me, smiling. I smiled back and sat up a little in bed.

"Hi." I said, clearing my throat.

He grinned and brushed his fingers across my huge stomach. I smiled a little.

"Tired?"

"Just a little. I'm okay now. I took a little nap." I rubbed my eyes and sat up, yawning. "What time is it?"

"Five thirty."

I did a little fake cry and threw my head back. "Ugh. I should probably start getting ready for that stupid wedding rehearsal. I don't even know what you would wear to that. What do I wear?"

"Hmm." Edward put a finger to his chin. "Something nice, I'd assume."

I pulled myself out of bed and waddled over to the closet. Edward followed close behind me. I looked through the racks and racks of clothes, trying to find something at least halfway decent. I never have to dress up anymore. Especially not when I'm ten times bigger than usual.

I looked at all of my old clothes and my throat closed up a little. I held the hem of my favorite dress and took a deep breath.

I held Edward's hand on my waist.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

I couldn't help but cry. "Nothing fits anymore! I'm so fat!" I wailed.

He bit his lip. "No, Bella, you - "

"It's not funny!" I yelled at him.

He was trying his best not to laugh. I could tell. I stomped my foot on the ground and yanked a shirt off of its hanger and hit him in the chest with it. "Edward Cullen! I swear to god, it is NOT FUNNY."

"You're right. You're right. It's not funny." He causally took the shirt I had attempted to beat him with from my hands. "I'm sorry, it's not funny. You're not fat. You're pregnant."

I started crying again. "It's not fair."

Edward pulled me into his arms and ran his hands up and down my back while I sobbed into his shoulder. "I know, baby. I'm sorry." He kissed my cheek.

"Nothing fits anymore." I cried.

"We'll get you some new clothes this weekend."

He pulled away from the hug and wiped my tears with his thumbs. I frowned, and he kissed my forehead, then pulled me back into his chest. "You'll always be my beautiful Bella."

To him at least. I didn't say that out loud. I smiled. "What am I going to wear tonight?"

"Why don't I find you something while you go take a shower?"

"I _can't _take a shower without falling over… because I'm too fat!" I started crying again, while Edward stood there hopelessly. I eventually sighed and walked off into the bathroom to run my bath. While it ran, I grabbed myself a towel, shampoo, and a razor. I have to look presentable so I might as well shave.

I closed the bathroom door while I undressed, and put all of my clothes in a neat pile on the floor before I stepped into the warm water. It helped with my raging nerves. I actually had a chance to take a deep breath and relax.

I soaked in the water for a long time. Long enough for it to start getting cold. Once that started, I quickly washed all of my hair, and scrubbed my body with the bath & bodyworks Alice got me a long time ago.

Then it was time to shave.

I leaned back in the tub and kicked my legs up on edge. I felt awkward sitting like this, and I'm pretty sure it looked awkward too. My stomach was just so big that this was the only way to do it. I managed to squirt the shaving cream on my legs and halfway rubbed it in. I put the blade to my skin and slowly ran it up my leg.

I was actually doing pretty well! It felt weird, but it was working. I finished my first leg without a problem, but once I moved to my second leg, I couldn't find the right angle to get at it. I tried as best as I could. My hand slipped, and I cut too deep into my skin.

"Shit!" I screamed, and watched as blood gushed down my leg. I flopped around in the tub and tried to ease the burning with clean water. It stung even more. "God dammit!"

"What's wrong?!" Edward yelled as he burst into the bathroom. "What happened?! Are you okay?! I heard you yelling. Bella, what's wrong?!"

"Geez, calm down. I just cut myself with the razor. Don't give yourself a heart attack, babe." I held up my scratched leg to show him.

"How in the world did you manage that?" He knelt by the side of the bathtub.

I felt the tears welt up in my eyes. "Because I'm too fat shave my legs properly." I burst into tears, and the only thing started _all over again_.

* * *

**Short chapter, I know. I'm actually not done with us (you'll see the rehearsal and them getting ready!) but I **_**had**_** to update. I felt bad not giving you guys something... even it was really little bit. I didn't update on Sunday and I feel bad. I might do part two of this tomorrow. Remember to hassle me. Or I'll get lazy and I won't. I'm so sorry guys. ):**

**Thank you to TwilightxHPotterxPJackson for the idea for the shaving thing. You guys should check out her youtube channel... she talks about PTRATTS in one of her videos! :O (and the theme song is really catchy, and I was singing it in school the other day... literally.)**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley**


	30. Vows

**OH MY GOD. I actually updated. I'm giving myself a pat on the back right now. I'm supposed to be packing because I'm leaving at six tomorrow for a trip, but… this is more fun… so… yeah. ****I'm always out of town. I dare one of you to look back at all of my annoying AN (LMLLH and PTRATTS) and see how many times I say "I'm going out of town…" or "I had a track/cross country meet…" Ready, set, go!**

**(Oh, and here's the chapter.)**

* * *

_BPOV_

After another twenty minute crying spell in the bathtub, I managed to pull myself together, and get ready for the rehearsal. Edward helped me out of the bath, and handed me my robe. I shook my hair out before I stepped into it, then went into the bedroom to see what clothes he had picked out for me to wear.

I don't own many formal maternity dresses. In fact, I don't think that I own any. All of the dresses sitting on the bed were lose fitting ones that I was able to fit in when I wasn't fifteen pounds heavier.

I skimmed over all of them - a blue dress, a pastel pink one, and a cream. Without even trying them on, I picked up the cream dress and hung it over my arm. It looked most appropriate for a wedding rehearsal. It was actually kind of cute.

"Should I let you get dressed?" Edward asked. Always a gentleman.

"Oh. I don't really care. You can stay if you want."

He fell back onto the bed effortlessly. I was so jealous. If only I could do that! I can't wait for this baby to be here already. I don't know what people are talking about when they say that pregnant women glow. It's all hormones.

I pulled some underwear on, then slipped out of my robe. I picked up the dress and pulled it up over my feet. I was afraid that it wouldn't fit over my enormous stomach, but, surprisingly enough, it did.

The top of the dress was dark, and ruffled. Almost like a flower. The bottom was soft, and more creamy, and light. Best of all, it didn't make my belly look too big. I looked in the mirror from both sides and smiled.

"Can you zip me up?" I asked.

"Of course." Edward jumped up off the bed. He walked over to me and slowly zipped up the back of my dress. He smiled at me in the mirror, and rested his head against my shoulder. I smiled too, and closed my eyes.

I wanted to stay like this forever. It was nice having him so close to me. For a minute, everything was quiet, and the world seemed to slow down. The chaos of the wedding and the baby disappeared and it was just the two of us.

I sighed. We have priorities, though.

"Can you go get Aveline dressed? I need to get ready."

"What should I dress her in?" He asked. He still hadn't let go of me.

"It doesn't really matter. Just as long as it's formal."

Edward nodded. We stayed like this for a little while longer. Neither of us wanted to let go.

"You know that it's bad luck to see the bride on her wedding day?" I teased trying to lighten the mood.

He laughed. "Well good thing it's only the rehearsal!"

I laughed and he started planting a trail of kisses along my neck. It tickled to the point where I was squealing and shaking my head to get him off. We both ended up laughing just as he twisted his head to kiss me on the lips.

When we pulled away, he grinned.

"Now you're just stalling." I accused him.

He winked, and walked out of the room to go get Aveline ready. I ran a hand through my hair and stared in the mirror, watching as the smile faded from my lips. Even then, I looked happy. Red cheeks, excited brown eyes.

I went back into the steamy bathroom and pulled out what little makeup I had. Alice had taught me some tricks, but I don't remember most of them. I did what I remember. I lightly traced the black eyeliner along my eye, and some shimmery white eye shadow. I already know my cheeks will be bright red, so I didn't bother with the blush.

My hair fell down my hips. It looked like it usually did: long and straight. I looked over at the clock, and realized that I didn't have time to do anything with it. Alice will have to suck it up. She can play Bella Barbie on the day of the _actual _wedding.

I slid a pair of flats onto my feet. No way in hell am I wearing heels! Not at seven months pregnant!

Once I had cleaned everything up and turned off the lights and walked into the living room. Edward was sitting on the floor with Aveline. When I came into the room, his face lit up a little. He scooped Aveline into his arms and met me by the door.

"We're ready to go if you are."

"Lead the way." I grinned.

We headed out the car together. Edward held Aveline in his arms, and I lightly onto the sleeve of his white shirt. I couldn't help but look at him and admire how amazing he looked. His pale skin suited him, and helped his emerald eyes shine. I wanted to run my hands through his hair. When he met my glance, I quickly looked away like in junior high.

The drive to the reception wasn't too long. Maybe twenty minutes. Even then, we were some of the last people to arrive. We actually got there at seven like we were supposed to, but we didn't know we were running on "Alice schedule" (aka fifteen minutes earlier.)

"Oh, look who's finally here!" Rosalie called when we walked in.

Alice turned on one heel and glared. "Where were you guys!?"

"It's seven… just like you asked."

She threw her arms up in the air and groaned loudly. Jasper grabbed onto her arm and whispered something in her ear. She took a deep breath and looked at us again. "Okay. I'm sorry. Let's just…" she sighed, "Let's just get this started."

And we did.

Everyone took their places. The wedding party wasn't big, and that made things a million times easier. The band that Jasper helped us find was here, but only one of them showed up, which was fine. We only needed someone to play the piano while I walked down the aisle.

I watched while Violet slowly stepped down the long aisle with Dylan. They walked arm-in-arm and looked happier than ever. Rose, who was holding Aveline in her arms for me, and Emmett next. Alice and Jasper came last. Then me.

My dad wasn't able to make it to the rehearsal, so Esme offered to walk me down the aisle. Which was so sweet of her. There was a slight pause in the music - my que to step forward. I tightened onto Esme's arm and we stepped out into the aisle.

"I feel like I'm getting married again." She whispered in my ear, trying to ease my nerves. I laughed nervously. Nobody sat in the audience. The only people here were my family and closest friends. I looked up at all of them and smiled. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. Why do I always have to blush?

Looking at Edward made it a little better. I smiled at him, and he smiled too. Esme handed me off to Edward when I reached the end of the aisle, and I laughed a little. Edward took a hold of my hands.

I let out a nervous breath.

"Oh!" Emmett's booming voice called. He ran from his spot and stood before us. Today he would be our preacher. "Guys, I honestly have no idea how to do this… so… don't blame me, okay?"

"It's not like you haven't done it before." This is true. Emmett married one of his friends a while back - a personal request. Technically he could marry us right now. I thought about how wonderful that would be. Maybe Edward and I should just run off to Vegas and get married instead of all of this planning.

"Can we just run this through before the wedding actually gets here?" Alice asked.

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes. Emmett cleared his throat and pretended to open up a bible. "Um… we're gathered here today in holy matrimony for the married of our dear friends Edward and Bella. We already knew they would get married from the start. Well, I did."

Edward chuckled a little under his breath.

"I forgot how to do this. Uh… say your vows?"

Oh, yeah. Vows. I haven't even started on mine yet! We agreed to write our own because it seems so much more original then the traditional "repeat after me." I looked at Edward. He could go first.

"Alright." He cleared his throat. "Bella…. I've loved you ever since day one. I tell you all the time, and I'll continue to tell you until the day we die. I don't think it's possible to love someone as much as I love you. I promise that I'll stay by your side until the end. I promise to love and protect you, and our family, and our beautiful children." He smiled.

Aw, damn. How am I supposed to top that? Especially on the top of my head!

"Edward." I said his name and tried to think of something. "I can't believe that we're at this point. This journey with you has been so magical, and I vow that I'm never going to step away from it. There's no me without you. I love everything you do for me, and nothing is ever going to take away how I feel for you. I love you."

Edward blushed. Edward Cullen blushed! My eyes widened, and my mouth formed a small "O" shape. He bit his lip and looked back up at Emmett.

"Look at you two lovebirds." He teased. Everyone laughed. "Oh, yeah. I forgot the most important part. You may now kiss the bride!"

Now it was my turn to blush (again). Edward pretended to throw the veil out of my face, and stared at me for a long moment. I stared at him like he was my world - my universe. He caressed my face in his hands and pulled my lips to his. It was a very soft and innocent kiss. I felt his lips smiling against mine.

Everyone clapped after we pulled away. I took there hand-in-hand with Edward looked over at all of my friends. Everything was so perfect. I can't wait until the day is finally here.

Alice's heels clicked as she stood in front of us all.

"That was perfect. Let's just run through it a few more times."

Everyone groaned.

"Then we can all go out for dinner."

And we did go out for dinner. _Hours later_. By that point, Aveline was getting fussy, and Rosalie was doing her best to calm her, but it wasn't working. That's when Edward put his foot down and said that this was enough.

The whole group decided to go out for Mexican, but both us and Violet and Dylan had to go home. Seth was at home with a babysitter, and we needed to get Aveline in bed. Having a one year old up this later is ridiculous.

I thanked everyone for coming out, and Edward and I went back to the car.

Aveline cried the entire way back. I tried my best to calm her down, but she was relentless. I wanted to bury my face in a pillow and scream. Her cries echoed throughout the small car like an alarm.

When we got back to the apartment, I fed her really quickly, and changed her into her warm pajamas. I tucked her into bed, and listened to her scream for another hour in her bed before she finally fell asleep.

My ears were soar. That little girl can _scream_.

"I'm so tired." I whined as I crawled into bed in a big t-shirt and socks. Edward was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He spit in the sink and walked over to me. The second he was in the bed, I cuddled up next to him. His intertwined his fingers with mine and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"All of this will be over soon."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Everyone loves planning a wedding." I said in a quiet, sarcastic voice.

"Especially wedding rehearsals with my sister."

"Oh, joy…." We both laughed. I wanted to go to sleep so badly. I suddenly gasped and sat up in my bed. "Oh my god."

Edward sat up too. "What? What's wrong?"

"I didn't eat dinner!"

He fell back into bed.

"Edward, I'm hungry."

"I don't feel like cooking…"

"Will you order me pizza?"

He looked at me as if I were joking. When he realized that I wasn't, he sighed and called the number to the nearest pizza place. I smiled in satisfaction. Despite the chaos of the my hormonal breakdowns, this had been a good day.

And now that pizza is on the way?

Even better.

* * *

**Okay. This one is short too. But if you put it together with the last chapter, it adds up to the length of a normal chapter! I promise. I can't promise an update this weekend because, you know, going out of town. But I'll try because where I'm going is so boring and there's nothing to do. (Bleh.) Maybe I'll surprise you!**

**Please review. So close to 500. Less than 30 away. ;)**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley.**


	31. Trails of Life

**Is it just me or is this story way longer than PTRATTS? I feel like it's been forever… maybe that's just me.**

**I've never had writer's block with this story until now… I'm waiting for the wedding to come. And I was going to post this really boring/fluffy chapter (again) until I randomly got this idea during my six mile run today. SO. Here it is. Hope you like it?**

* * *

_BPOV_

Today is the last day for putting the wedding decorations together. Even though the wedding isn't for a few more days, Alice wants us to drive everything down to the venue, and leave it there. (I feel so thankful that I don't have to put them all up. She said that she'd take care of that.) Basically, I wouldn't be seeing the final product until I walked down the aisle.

There wasn't too much to do. All of my free time gave me plenty of opportunities to get most of it done. All there was left were little things, which I figured wouldn't take too long.

"Thanks again for helping me out." I said as I opened the door. Violet walked in with Seth in her arms. Her belly was hardly even noticeable underneath her shirt. I was ridiculously jealous.

"No problem. I'd want all of your help if this was me!" She put Seth on the ground, and he walked over to Aveline. He was one step ahead of the game - already walking, and beginning to talk. Maybe some of that will rub off on Aveline. She seems very nonchalant about the whole walking thing.

We walked over to the couch and took a seat.

"No sad movies today?" Violet grinned, and I laughed.

"Nope. Not today. I don't think Dylan would appreciate that one again!"

We both laughed this time. I then picked up the big bag of crafts that we would be doing today and plopped it on my lap. Violet reached into the bag and started pulling things out. There was mostly lace, some mason jars, sparkles - the usual for a vintage art project.

It didn't take too long. Maybe a few hours. Violet had just left, and I was in my room, putting everything up in our closet when I heard my phone ring. I picked it up, and quickly scanned the text from Alice.

_FYI you are having a bachelorette party… no backing out now. I already have it all planned out! We're going out tomorrow._

I sat on our bed and groaned loudly, dropping the phone onto my lap. It took me a minute before I answered.

_FINE. I'll do it. What are we doing?_

It took her less than a minute to respond.

_It's a secret! You'll find out in all due time! Loves! _

I fell into the pillow on our bed and screamed into it. The last thing I want to be worrying about right now is a surprise-bachelorette-party-that-I-kind-of-agreed- to-but-don't-really-want-to-have.

Suddenly I wished that Edward was here. I wanted him to sit next to me and put his arm around me and tell me that it was okay. That I was overreacting. That the party would be fun. But there's nothing I could do about him not being here right now.

He's at school, though. I hadn't seen him since last night. He's been getting up super early the past few days to go on runs, and by the time I wake up, he's usually out the door for school. Then, sometimes he goes on _another _run after classes.

I'm trying not to think into it too much. I put it down to nerves. He has told me that running helps calm him down. Maybe the wedding is freaking him out - or the fact that midterms are nearing.

I pulled out my phone and sent him an "I miss you" text, then wandered off into the kitchen for a huge glass of water. I drank it slowly and ran my hand over my stomach softly. My baby kicked a little at my touch. I smiled.

I reorganized the magnets on the fridge; went through all of the voicemails; ran the dishwasher; put other dishes away. Took care of Aveline for the night. All of this just to kill time. Chores seem to help with that.

After a good twenty minutes had passed, I want back into the bedroom, where I changed into some pajamas, then fell onto the bed, and checked my phone. Much to my disappointment, there were no new messages.

I got tired of waiting. I checked my phone once more before I fell asleep. But I couldn't help but sneak a smile when I felt him crawl into bed - even if it was hours later.

* * *

I stared at myself in the mirror and frowned a bit. This wasn't how I really wanted to spend my Friday night, but it would have to do. I sighed a bit and turned around.

"Does this look okay?" I asked, motioning down with my eyes. My friends had conveniently dropped it off this morning. I was sitting at the table feeding Aveline her breakfast when there was a knock on the door. The dog barked, and I grumbled irritatedly - even _more_ irritatedly when I saw the little box with a tag on it.

It was a long sleeved, black dress that fell to mid-knee. It was cute. For a maternity dress, at least. It didn't make my stomach look too enormous, which I liked. They had graced me with a pair of comfortable flats, and told me to wear my red coat.

"You look beautiful." Edward complimented as he tied his running shoe on. I was going out tonight, and he was too. For a run. We had to call Violet last minute to come and play babysitter, but she didn't seem to mind one bit.

"That's an overstatement." I laughed. "But, thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." He was bundled up in a long sleeved, black Under Armor shirt, long pants, gloves, and a hat. We both laughed.

I wore my hair down tonight and my makeup was very simple. Just plain black eyeliner with a hint of blush on my porcelain cheeks. In my eyes, I looked decent. In Edward's, much better.

There was a small knock on the door, and I took that as my que to leave.

"Be safe." Edward made me promise, as usual.

I smiled. "Of course I will. You too. Don't leave Violet alone with Aveline for too long." He gave me a quick peck on the lips, and I grabbed my purse. I said a quick goodbye to my baby, who was sitting on the floor with her toys, before I was off with my friends.

Alice looked great. She also wore a long sleeved black dress. It was loose fitting, and went to the middle of her tiny thighs. A thin stringy line of necklaces fell from her neck, and a black and grey checkered scarf did too. Her boots were grey, and a deep purple beanie rested on her head.

She winked at me as I walked through the door. "Loving the dress."

I rolled my eyes. "It's almost like you picked it out!"

Rosalie was waiting out in the hallway, and she looked like her usual perfect self. Golden blonde hair that flowed down to her curved hips. Her legs were long. Lips red. She had on a black tights, and a short black turtle neck dress. And draped over her bare arms were two red coats. She handed one to Alice, who shrugged hers on.

I was sensing a theme here - black dresses and red coats.

They led me outside and into the chilly Seattle air.

"Where are we going?" I asked eagerly.

"That's still a surprise." Alice chimed. "But don't worry. We'll be there soon enough!" She said as she opened the car door for me. I crawled into the passenger's seat, and soon we were zooming down the road.

The music was loud, and we were all singing along. Rosalie decided to get a little risky and wind all of the windows down. We got stares from everyone on the street, but I didn't care. By this point in my life, I don't care about what people think. Especially not at times like this.

We pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant - a Mexican restaurant, I realized when I stepped out of the car. Alice and Rosalie linked arms with me and we strode into the place together.

"I have a reservation under Cullen." Alice said.

The waiter looked down at his menu, then up at her. "Alright. Just this way, ma'am."

Still linked arm in arm, we followed him to the table, where we eventually broke apart and sat down. I was in the middle of my best friends, who were all smiles, and giggles. He immediately asked us for our drinks, and once that was taken out of the way, they thumped four presents in front of me.

"_Guys…"_

"Come on, Bella." Rosalie said.

"No complaining. One time?"

"It's not even my birthday." I pouted.

They both sighed in unison. I bit my lip before I picked up the first gift, and unwrapped it. It looked like a card, but when I opened it, a seventy dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble fell out. My throat felt tight.

I smiled, and decided not to complain like usual. Tonight I'd accept their gifts. "Thanks."

"No problem, Bella." Alice said, and handed me the next one.

In total, I got one gift card, a cheesey book and movie about newly weds, and, courtesy of Alice, some "gorgeous underwear from Victoria's Secret."

"For the honeymoon, you know." Alice hinted.

My cheeks burned bright red. Edward and I hadn't even planned a honeymoon yet. Maybe we would take one when I wasn't pregnant, and we had more money on our hands. I didn't say anything about that to Alice, though. I just smiled and thanked her, embarrassed by her… kindness.

"So… how's the groom?" Rosalie asked with a grin on her face after the presents were over with.

I fought the urge to say _perfect _and _everything I could have ever wanted_, because I knew that they didn't want to hear those mushy things. Especially not Alice. This is her brother we're talking about. It was difficult to find the right word. Amazing, of course. Beneath that - stressed, from the wedding and midterms.

My cheeks burned again.

"He's great." I settled, though that was clearly an understatement.

"Aw." Rose smiled. "I just can't believe that you're getting married."

"I'm getting married too." Alice chimed in.

Rosalie sighed. "Yes, but, Bella has a good reason for getting married. She has two kids. You, on the other hand… well… why _are _you getting married?" We stared at her for a long moment. She just shrugged her tiny shoulders.

Rose look at me, and I gasped.

"Oh my god."

"Alice."

"Please don't tell me that you're also…"

"Pregnant." I piped up in a small voice.

Alice immediately started choking on her water. She wrapped her hands around her throat, and scooted her chair away while she coughed. In between her coughing fits, you could hear bits of her high-pitched, familiar laughter. Once she could breath again, she scooted her chair back in and cleared her throat.

"Ew. No!" Alice nearly screamed. "I don't want kids! I'm getting married for love. Not because I have to, or feel obligated to, I mean," she shrugged her shoulders. "It just feels like… like the right thing to do."

I smiled. I was glad that Alice had finally found someone - her missing piece - her other half. She deserves someone as pure and genuine as Jasper. They go well together. I think they're the perfect explanation of "opposites attract."

"Who knew Alice was a romantic?" Rosalie joked, and the three of us all laughed.

We were talking about the awful rain when our food came. (It felt amazing to talk about something other than school, weddings, and babies for once.) I cleared off my spot and eyed my plate of spicy tacos hungrily as it was placed in front of me.

I picked up the taco with my hands and bit it. The shell crunched against my teeth, and meat fell onto the plate. I scooped the extra toppings onto a tortilla chip. Alice and Rosalie both looked at me and laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked with a full mouth.

"You're appetite." Alice said bluntly. I rolled my eyes. She doesn't understand. She's not the one feeding for two. And she doesn't have massive cravings at ridiculous hours of the night.

After dinner - and after a huge ass chocolate cake that I ate practically by myself - we walked out in the chilly streets of Seattle together. I wrapped my coat around my tightly, and hoped that my belly was warm enough. Though with this many layers, you could hardly tell I was pregnant.

Alice sighed heavily. "One of these days, we need to go somewhere _warm_."

"With beaches… _and the sun_…." We all sighed happily. The sun is something you don't get that often. "I vote we all go to the Bahamas."

"Or Guam."

Rose shrugged. "Either or. Just as long as there's a beautiful beach for me to tan on, and warm water to dip my toes into!"

We all giggled at the thought. I tried to image myself at the beach in a few years time. No big belly for me - I'd hopefully have my usual flat tummy back. Edward and I could sit in the sand and watch while Ava and her sister splashed around in the waves. Maybe bury Emmett while he slept. Who knows - maybe Rose would have kids of her own?

It'd be wonderful to get away for a summer. But also 100% out of the question. Not now at least. Maybe in a few years when Edward has a stable job, and the kids are a little older.

"One day." I promised to them all and smiled hopefully.

We window shopped for a while. Most of the shops were closed, but that didn't stop us from peering into the decorated windows. Clothes, mannequins, and even some jewelry stood out for everyone to see. There were some things that I loved. Like the typewriter that I'd always wanted. And the old-fashioned record player.

Half an hour later, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I managed to pull it out and looked at the screen.

_Violet (cell) calling. _

My heart skipped a beat. She was watching Aveline. She wouldn't be calling if something wasn't seriously wrong. A million thoughts shot through my head - every scenario, every possibility.

"Oh god." I whispered.

Alice and Rosalie stopped dead in their tracks. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"Um, nothing. The babysitter is just calling… I… hold on… let me take this…" I hit the accept button and put the phone to my ear. "Hello?" My voice was shaky and weak.

"Bella. You answered."

"Is everything okay?" I was frantic. "Is Aveline alright?"

"Yes - I mean - she's okay. She's right here." Relief washed through me. My baby was alright. She wasn't hurt. I took a minute to take a deep breath and let that sink in. Paranoia is now the norm.

"Okay. Good. You really had me going there for a - "

"Bella." Her voice was serious. My throat tightened. I didn't have time to answer. She nervously jumped into her story. "I don't know what to do. Bella." Her voice was shaky. She sounded like she was about to cry. There was a soft cry in the background - Aveline. My fear shot back up.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's happening. I don't know what to do." She was ranting on and on.

Alice looked at me and raised one eyebrow. Rosalie looked confused. I turned away from the both of them and held the phone tighter to my ear, my hands tightening around it.

"I thought you said Aveline was okay…."

"She is." Violet breathed.

"Then what's wrong?" My voice seethed in desperation.

"It's…" She swallowed. "It's Edward." Violet went on to explain. "He… he came back from running and he looked… I don't know… terrible… he said something about running through some trails." I flashed to a while back when he had come back with huge scratches from running on a trail. "And he looked so pale… and so sick… and he's just kind of sitting there like he's going to pass out…."

Oh, shit. Edward… oh, Edward. My heart thudded in my chest. I didn't know what I was going to go - in fact, I felt just as panicked as Violet sounded. But I tried to stay calm for her sake. If she freaked out even more, then _she _may be the one to faint.

"I'll be right there. Okay? Just keep him comfortable. Don't let him go to sleep or anything." I hung up and shoved the phone into my pocket. Was it destiny for my bachelorette party to go down like this? Maybe I wasn't meant to hang out with my friends with no distractions for the night.

"Guys, I've gotta go." I breathed frantically.

"What happened?" Rosalie's eyes were wide with anticipation.

"It's Edward. He - " I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Something happened while he was running. I need to go check on him. I'm really sorry, guys…"

Alice put her hand on my shoulder sympathetically. Rosalie patted my back. "There's nothing to worry about, Bella. We had a great time tonight." They both nodded in agreement. "We got to hang out with you. That's all we wanted."

I shook my head, and somehow managed to smile. "You guys are the best."

Rosalie smiled. "Come on. Let's get you home."

We walked back to the car as quickly as we could. I was dripping in anticipation the entire drive back. I didn't know what to expect when I walked through the door. Was Violet throwing everything out of proportion? Or was he actually hurt? I twiddled my thumbs together and tried to listen to the hum of the radio, but at this point, nothing could distract me.

The traffic was ridiculous, which only intensified everything I was feeling. My anxiety was about to fly through the roof. I felt all eyes on me while they drove. Maybe they were worried that I would hyperventilate and pass out, too.

But once we reached the apartment, I hardly even said goodbye. I jumped up the car and went as fast as I could to our room. My feet ached from walking around all day, and I was positive that they were swollen. But I didn't care. All I cared about right now was Edward.

The moment I knocked on the door, Violet opened it. She looked at me with wide eyes, and a worried expression.

"How's he doing?" I asked as I stepped in.

"The same. I don't know what to do. He's just sitting there…" Her voice hitched. I smiled at her to show that it was alright.

"Violet, I want you to go home. We're going to be alright. I'll let you know what happens."

She took a deep breath. "Um, okay." She nodded her head. "The baby is in bed. She fell asleep a while ago… I've just been sitting there with - "

"Shh." I hushed her. "Go home and relax. It'll be okay." I reached into my pocket and handed her a twenty for watching the baby. I would have given her more (because of what happened) but this was all I had. She tried to refuse the money, but I pushed her out the door before she could hand it back.

Then it was just us.

I dropped my purse and shrugged out of my coat, then ran over to Edward. As much as it hurt to say, he did look as terrible at Violet had described. His skin was ghostly pale, and dripping with sweat. There were cuts up and down his arms, as well as on his face. His eyes were just barely open. When I knelt next to him, he barely acknowledged me.

I put my hand on his arm. It was hot.

"Oh, babe…" I whispered. "What did you do?"

He swallowed and let out a deep breath as my eyes traced up and down his scarred up body. I didn't even give him the chance to answer. "What were you thinking? You already workout today. You're overdoing it… and you went in those trails before, and you knew that…" I felt hot tears dripping down my cheeks without warning. "Oh, Edward…"

Edward cleared his throat and looked at me more clearly. "I'm okay…."

"No you're not." I cried, and wiped my eyes with my sleeves.

"I promise - "

"No. You look terrible." I shook my head. "I should take you to the hospital."

He scrunched up his face. "That's really not… necessary." He spoke very slowly. "They won't be able to do much…"

"I don't know… those cuts are bad." They were much deeper than last time. _Much_. Deep enough to where some of them would probably leave a nasty scar.

"If I'm not better in the morning, then you can take me…" He mumbled.

I kissed his cheek and nestled my head into his neck. His skin felt hot and wet, but I could care less. He was okay - for the most part - and somehow coherent. I just crossed my fingers that he wouldn't faint on me. Then I'd have no idea what to do.

Maybe he's dehydrated. I doubt it's heat exhaustion - not in this kind of weather.

While he sat by the couch, I got up and poured him a huge glass of water. I didn't even bother with the ice. Getting as much water as I could in him was all that I cared about. He looked at me when I walked over to him, and managed to take a seat with my huge belly.

I put the cup to his lips and helped him drink. It scared me that he didn't oblige.

He drank the entire cup of water, and when he finished it, I got him another. In the end, he drank a total of four enormous glasses of water. That helped some color return to his skin.

He was still wet, and felt hot against my skin. He needed a shower, obviously. But I couldn't support him in the shower. Not ordinarily, and definitely not now at seven months pregnant.

A bath it is.

I stood up again (my back was starting to hurt now) and waddled into our bathroom, where I ran some warm water. I waited until it was filled up, and the water was at a perfect temperature. I worried at how I was going to get him in there.

"Edward." I called his name when I got back to the living room.

"Mmm?"

"I need you to stand up. I ran a bath… you need you to get in it, okay?" He was looking at me now. "Can you walk?"

He sighed. Maybe annoyed that I had to help him with no much. I couldn't tell. "Yeah, I can." Edward told me, and slowly pulled himself up from the floor. He walked slowly into the bathroom, and I followed closely behind.

When we were in the bathroom, I helped him pull his shirt over his head. There were more little cuts on his chest. I tried my best not to look at him. I was going to give him his privacy for the bath, since I figured he would want it, but when I turned to leave, he weakly grabbed my arm.

"Don't leave." He told me. "Stay."

I nodded with a smile. "Okay. I promise I won't go anywhere."

Edward slid into the tub, and I sat on the edge next to him, dipping my sore feet into the water. He let out a deep breath and stretched out his neck. He looked like he was getting better. At least a little. His skin was still a little pale, and the cuts looked nasty.

"How was… your party." As weak as he was, he was still trying to make conversation. He's too sweet.

"It wasn't that much of a party." I admitted, and ran my hands through his hair. "But it was nice. I had a good time."

"That's good." He said quietly.

I decided that keeping something on his mind was the best thing I could do right now. I don't want him falling asleep in the bath, and I still need to clean the cuts afterwards.

"I came up with some names." I said, even though I hadn't. A little white lie at a time like this wouldn't hurt. I needed _something_.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I, um…. I like the name Lucy. Lucy is pretty, don't you think?"

He moved around in the water a bit. I kept my hands in his hair. "It is. It's nice." He agreed. "Um… maybe Laina… Lana…"

"Laina is pretty." I said.

"Yeah." Edward responded.

We didn't say much more. I sat there, rubbing his head, and letting him relax; making sure he stayed awake. The two of us sat there for a long while - long enough for the water to get cold. That's when I grabbed a towel. Edward got up and dried himself off, then changed into the pair of boxers I handed him.

Then I cleaned off the cuts with some rubbing alcohol. He winced at the burn, and I felt awful for doing it, but it had to be done. They were deep, nasty, and probably felt as painful as they looked.

I made him drink two more glasses of water before he got into bed. I cuddled up next to him, and traced my fingers up and down his arm.

"Go to sleep." I whispered to him.

"I know. I will."

"We'll see how you are in the morning." More specifically, the cuts. Those worried me the most.

"Mhm."

"Night." I whispered, and leaned over to turn off the lamp on the bedside table.

"Goodnight, Bella." He said back to me, and within seconds, he was out. I stared up at the ceiling and anticipated what the morning would bring.

* * *

**WOW that was longer than I had planned for. Oops. Does that make up for the recent short, annoying, and poorly written chapters? I hope so. Anyway, review! I'm thirteen away from 500.**

**And my birthday is on Friday, so that would be a really nice gift. (:**

**Love, love, love,  
****Halley. **


	32. Beauty Queen

**Be surprised that I'm updating because I'm ridiculously tired and this entire week has been chaotic. Just not a fun week for me and for almost everyone that I know. For some reason I decided to update - which is good for you guys!**

******Let's find out about Edward. Kind of a short chapter. Next chapter is big and important!**

**(AND THANK FOR 505 REVIEWS! WHAT!? AH!)**

* * *

_BPOV_

I was still staring up at the ceiling when Edward stirred beside me the next morning. I felt his hot breath against my shoulder, and his eyes slowly flutter open. He cleared his throat, and groaned a little beneath his breath before he sat up in bed.

I looked over at him.

"Feeling any better?"

"I guess." He said. Sleep was heavy in his voice. I sat up, too, and he smiled at me very weakly. I tried to smile back, but I was skeptical about his well-being. I wasn't sure if he was really feeling any better.

"I'm still going to see if the cuts are any better." I told him. "Okay?"

Edward shrugged.

I pulled the blankets back, and stared at the bandages on his legs. My fingers didn't want to move. I didn't want to see them. I didn't know if they had healed, or if they had gotten worse over the night. I prayed for the first option as I peeled back the white bandage.

The first thing I noticed - even before I had taken it off - was that his skin was warm. That worried me, because I knew that a fever and a cut meant infection. And a bad one at that. I pulled off the bandage and anxiety dripped through my entire body - replacing my blood with worry.

It was deep. On the bandage, there was little drops of yellow, and the scab hadn't fully formed over the cut. It was swollen, and warm to my touch, and disgusting. I peeled back all of the others, and they looked similar.

I put my hand to his head. It felt just as hot as his head did.

I looked over at the clock. It wasn't even seven in the morning. Nobody would be awake to watch Aveline. I got out of bed and changed into sweatpants and one of Edward's sweatshirts, then hurried into my baby's room.

She was sleeping soundly, and I hated to wake her up hen she looked so peaceful. But I leaned down into her crib, and picked her up. Her eyes shot open, and she looked around a little confused. I felt like I was moving at warp speed as I put her down on the changing table, and quickly dressed, and changed her. She was already cranky, and I knew that she would be like this for the rest of the day. I threw some things in a bag for her - toys, baby snacks, diapers - then put that on my shoulder, and held her in my arms.

I went back into our bedroom. Edward was laying back in bed now. I went over to him and shook his shoulder.

"Come on, sweetheart." I said to him. "We have to go."

"Go where?"

He'd through a fit if I told him, but I knew that I had to. "You're not any better. The cuts are infected and you have a fever. I'm taking you to the hospital… whether you like it or not."

He hesitated at first, but I was pleasantly surprised when he dragged himself out of bed, and reached for my hand. I gave it a gentle squeeze, and we slowly walked down to the car. I buckled Aveline in, and I made Edward sit in the passenger seat.

By 6:45 AM, we were cruising down the road on our way to the hospital.

Edward had insisted on holding Aveline when we walked in. that worried me a little, but I knew that it wasn't contagious. I was convinced that he would pass out on the ground and drop her. I clutched my hands as we walked into the emergency room, and bit my lip in anticipation.

It was more crowded than I had imagined. Nearly all of the seats were filled, and commotion was everywhere. But even then, when a nurse walked by, she stopped in mid-stride and ran over.

"Are you okay? Let's get you a wheelchair. We'll get you a room as soon as possible." She said this while looking right at me.

"Oh!" I gasped, and laughed a little. "No, it's not me. Not yet, at least. It's actually my boy - my fiancé." I corrected myself, and told her the story from last night. While we stood there, she peeled back the bandages to see how serious it was.

"Eh. That's not fun." She shook her head. "We'll see you in about fifteen minutes. Just take a seat somewhere over there." The nurse pointed to the waiting area.

Edward still held Aveline. I found that a little funny, that even with a fever, and not at his best, he still insists on holding her. I think that made me love him even more than I already do - which is impossible to believe.

When we walked towards the seats, I realized that they were all taken. I slumped my back against a column and tapped my foot. An old woman, not too far away, looked at me, then over to her husband.

If I listened close enough, I could hear their conversation.

"You need to give that girl your seat." The woman said.

Her husband, I presumed, scoffed. "Why?"

"Well, she's pregnant!" She yelled in a whisper. "And she looks like she's about to pop any second now."

He rolled his eyes, and grumbled underneath his breath. " I just don't see the point."

"You will give her your seat, or so help me, I will leave. We've been together for forty years. I think I learn to live without." She threatened. Once she through that out there, the man sighed. "Excuse me, miss?" The old woman said to me.

I smiled like I hadn't heard the conversation. "Yes?"

"Why don't you come sit down? My husband is going to give you his seat." She smiled at me.

"Oh! You don't have to do that!"

"Yes, yes, he does. Come on, then. Take a seat."

I thanked the both of them as I slowly took a seat. It felt amazing to sit down. I hadn't even realized how badly my feet hurt from just sitting there. Edward followed me, and took a seat on the floor in front of me. Aveline squirmed out of his arms, and crawled over to the toys in the middle of the room. I ran my fingers through Edward's hair while we sat.

I still couldn't believe how nice that lady was. Nobody had ever done something like for me. Throughout both of my pregnancies, all I've ever gotten was an occasional "congratulations!" but most times, like now, people stare at me for being so young and being so pregnant.

The woman looked over at me and smiled.

"How far along are you?"

"About seven months." I told her.

"Is that your daughter over there?" She pointed.

I nodded. "Yeah. That's my little girl, Aveline."

"That sounds like my name. I'm Aviary."

"I'm Bella."

Just then, the nurse from before walked in, and called for Edward. I scratched his head one more time, then kissed his cheek before he stood up and walked off, waving at me before he disappeared.

My nerves were on fire now. I just hoped that he was alright. Especially with the wedding being so close - I hadn't even though about that. He'll probably be all scratched up for the wedding, which I'm willing to bet Alice will _not _be happy about.

"Boy or girl?"

"Girl." I smiled, and patted my tummy a few times. "No name yet." I laughed. "We probably need to think about that, though."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out soon. And I'm sure you're going to be a great mommy." Aviary smiled, but there was a soft pain in her old, faded blue eyes. I tried to imagine what she looked like maybe twenty, thirty years ago. Heart shaped face, and curly auburn hair. Pretty blue eyes and rosy cheeks. All of her features were there - hidden behind the soft wrinkles and laugh lines.

"Thanks so much." This time I smiled. "Do you have any kids? I'm sure you're a great mom, too, if you do."

"I did." She said softly. "But he died in childbirth."

"Oh…" Was all I could manage to say.

I was tempted to confess. I wanted to put my hand on hers and tell her how sorry I am - to tell her that I know how she feels. Let her know about my Olivia. But I couldn't find my words. They were lost in the thickness of my now tight throat. The pain I felt for not only her, but for me too, was almost too much.

Of course it had been worse for her.

She had gone through the entire pregnancy. She bought clothes, and named her baby, and I'll bet that she put her hand on her stomach just like I do every night. I bet that she let her husband talk to the baby like me, and she had crazy cravings like me, and she cried because she was fifteen pounds over weight.

But the difference is that she didn't even get to meet him. Or hold him. Or kiss him. And I will.

So what could I say to that? My condolences wouldn't be enough. It doesn't matter how long ago it happened. She lost a child for Christ's sake. That hole will be there in her heart until the day she died.

I didn't even realize that my eyes were watering until I blinked, and a tear fell out. I turned my head to the side and wiped it on the sleeve of Edward's sweatshirt. I looked over at my precious Aveline. I had never felt so thankful to have her here with me.

"Don't cry, honey." Aviary said.

"Death is inevitable. It happens to everyone." She smiled. "And I'll be with him again someday."

She took me by surprise by putting her hand on mine and comforting _me_. I nodded my head, agreeing with her, and we both smiled at her. I felt a strange connection with this woman. Which as weird.

"I think that boy of yours," Aviary said, changing the subject to happier thoughts. "That boy is a keeper."

I smiled beneath my watery eyes. "He is." _He really is. _I thought to myself. Even though he can be a little stubborn, and a bit overprotective, he's perfect to me, and that's all I could ever ask for. "We're getting married in a few weeks."

"My, my! That's fantastic!" My cheeks flushed as she spoke. "I wish you two the best."

"Thank you!"

My eyes glanced over to the clock. I was surprised to find that we had been sitting here for about forty-five minutes already. The waiting room was still packed. A little girl held an icepack to her forehead; a guy sat with red eyes in the corner; someone limped up to the front desk. I could never work in a hospital. Too much goes on.

My thoughts shifted back to Edward, and whether or not he was okay. I called Aveline over to me, and she ninja crawled to my feet. She stood up and starting hitting her hands against mine and laughed.

I squeezed her hand a little, and she pulled it back, and reached for my phone. I gave it to her and she plopped down on the floor; hitting the buttons with her tiny hands and laughing. A few people looked over. They smiled.

"You're sister is adorable." One of them said.

I frowned a little. "Uhhhhh. Thanks…" I wasn't in the mood to correct them right now. I just let them think what they wanted to. It really wasn't any of their business anyway.

I talked with Aviary for a while longer until she was called back with her husband to the examination room. It made me feel a little sad that she was gone. I had actually made a somewhat friends - which is rare for me.

I played with Aveline. Or watched her as she played with my phone, rather. When she tried to put it in her mouth, I took it away, and handed her one of her toys instead. It didn't interest her quite as much, but she took it.

A nurse walked into the room ten minutes later and called my name. "Bella?" She said. I put my hands on the arms of the chair and pushed myself up. My back hurt a little from the sudden position change.

The nurse walked over to me. She was the same one from earlier. "You didn't have to get up! I could have come to you." Her eyes flickered from my enormous belly to my face.

"It's okay. I probably needed to get up anyway."

"If you're sure." She smile before continuing. "Well. Edward is doing fine. The cuts were infected, so it's a good thing you brought him in!"

My heart calmed knowing that he was okay.

"Is there anything we need to do?" I asked. "Medication, or - "

"Oh, yes!" She flipped through the paperwork on her clipboard and skimmed through the writings. "He'll have to put some ointment on it every day. Make sure he's drinking a lot of water, and we have some medication to help his fever go down. Take that until his temperature is back to normal."

I tried to remember all of this. It wasn't too much. Water, ointment, fever medication.

"And make sure that he doesn't run on those trails again." She smiled.

I laughed. Over my dead body he would be going on those trails again. He's sticking to a treadmill for now on. I don't want him getting into another incident like this. I don't know if my poor pregnant self could take it.

"DADA!" Something squealed from behind me.

Aveline was up on her feet - without any help from me - and was moving as fast as her little feet could take her towards Edward, who was standing in the doorway looking _much _better than earlier before. He smiled and knelt down as she awkwardly fell into his arms.

My eyes were wide open. She had just walked! On her own!

Edward ran his hand up and down her little back, and scooped her up into his arms like a little doll. She rested her little head against his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. It was a funny thing to watch - even at such a young age, she understood that something was wrong with her daddy.

He came over to me and smiled. I smiled too.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I feel better, but honestly, I'm just ready to get home." Edward admitted.

"Good, because I am too." I said. "It's nine in the morning, and none of us have eaten. I say that we make some pancakes before we break the news to Alice."

"What news?"

"That you'll be all scratched up for the wedding."

"Oh!" He gasped and shifted Aveline in his arms. "Bella, I'm so sorry…. I didn't even… I mean - "

"No." I shook my head, and grinned. "It's absolutely perfect."

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**I actually have reasoning for Edward not being perfect in the wedding. Maybe you'll pick up on it. It's kind of thematic in a way. I feel sneaky for coming up with it. ;)**

**Anyway…. I hope you liked it! I'm at 500 reviews and I'm floating. Plus I turned sixteen on Friday! WHADDUP. I CAN DRIVE NEXT WEEK. So, that's pretty much it. Review?**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley.**


	33. Old Times

**Busy weekend. But I got my license. And I ran some good races. And I had a party. And I got my prom dress. That's all fun! I'm sure writing this will be fun as well! Thanks for all of the reviews and birthday wishes last chapter. Xoxo. (:**

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_BPOV_

"WHAT?!" Alice's voice screamed from the other line of the phone. She said this so loudly that I had to hold the phone away from my ear, and I even cringed while I waited for my hearing to come back to me. "This is not good. This is not good. Not good at all."

"I mean… it's not _that _bad…." I looked at Edward and smiled hopefully. There was a big gash on the side of his face, and slight bruising underneath his right eye. He held his thumbs up and smiled right back.

"Oh, god." Alice wailed.

"What?"

"That's your 'I'm trying to make this sound better than it really is' voice." She cried. "I'll be there in ten minutes." I didn't even have time to say goodbye. She just hung up. With the wedding approaching, Alice has been staying with Rosalie and Emmett, who are also temporarily in town. This has been both a gift and a nightmare.

I put the phone down on the couch and sighed heavily.

"What'd she say?"

"That she'll be here in ten minutes."

He sighed too. "I guess that means that we better prepare ourselves. She didn't sound too happy."

I picked up a few pillows on the floor that Aveline had grabbed earlier and put them neatly onto the couches. I can't bend down very far anymore. I can barely even squat now, and my knees shake a little every time I try.

Edward watched as I quickly cleaned up our apartment. It was becoming more of a store closet now. My idea of having a cute little home was clearly out of the picture. With more baby stuff coming in, wedding gifts, and everything else we may need, it barely even looks like a house anymore, which is upsetting. But a new apartment is out of the picture now. Edward barely has a stable job and he's still in school.

I kicked Aveline's toys into the corner with my swollen feet, then wandered into the kitchen for a little snack before I had to listen to Alice's wrath of fury. Today I was craving olives and peanut butter - a weird combination that somehow sounded good to me.

Edward scrunched his nose. "Olives and _peanut butter?_"

"Leave me alone." I whined. "I'm pregnant."

He laughed and stole one of my olives from the can. I made a face at him and hugged the can of olives closer to me. Apparently he hadn't realized that I planned on eating this by myself. Edward laughed again and got himself a water bottle from the fridge.

Not even five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I was shocked that she had gotten here so fast. She's staying at least fifteen minutes away from our apartment.

I looked at Edward and waited for him to open the door. He stared back at me.

"I'm not opening it."

"She's your sister…"

"But I'm not going alone! I won't make it back!" I knew he was joking, but he sounded completely serious.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're such a baby. She's all of, what, five feet? What's the worst she can do?"

I waddled to the front door with Edward close behind. He hid behind me, obviously not ready to deal with his sister's screaming and the big fit she was about to throw. I wasn't sure if I was ready either, but at least I wasn't afraid to answer the door!

Men these days. I shook my head as I opened the door.

As expected, Alice was standing there, looking a little frantic. She looked like she hadn't slept all night, and, for once, didn't look perfect. I don't think I've ever seen her without her hair done, or at least a little makeup on her face.

I smiled. "Hi, Ali - "

She stepped into the doorway. "As much as I'd love to talk to you right now Bella, I really have to deal with my brother right now and see what I can do to fix this mess he's gotten himself into. Edward, you're such a moron!"

He turned his back to her and started walking away. She was suddenly hot on his heels, stalking him like a lion around the living room.

"Hi Alice." He said, still walking.

"Edward." Her voice was dripping with annoyance.

"Alice." He said, equally as annoyed.

"You're such an idiot! Stop walking away from me!" She screamed, and literally started chasing him around the living room. Edward took that as his sign to start running. I watched in disbelief as the two of them played their own version of tag around the living room.

Then the dog trotted up from her dog bed, and started barking, and joined in on the chasing. Alice stumbled over the poor thing and fell onto the ground. Edward doubled over in laughter, and she grabbed his foot. He came crashing down to the floor. The puppy started howling at the chaos.

"EDWARD CULLEN!" She screamed. "I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"

He sat up and grinned at her. "The feeling is mutual."

She gasped when she saw the cuts all over him. Her hands immediately went to her mouth and her eyes widened in horror. "EDWARD. THE WEDDING IS IN TWO DAYS AND YOU - AND THAT - AND- _OH MY GOD_."

"Stop yelling!" I hissed at her. "You're going to wake the baby up." My hand was resting on my stomach as I walked over to the two of them. They're acting like little kids. I already do enough babysitting as it is.

The two of them both stood up. Edward grabbed Alice's hand and helped her to her feet. She brushed herself off and glared before she leaned in to look at the cuts. "Well… maybe I can cove it up with makeup…"

"Hell no. I'm not putting makeup on. Bella, tell her that I'm not putting makeup on."

"I- uh - " There was a small cry coming from the back bedroom. I shrugged and started for the room. "You two settle it out. I have to take care of the screaming baby that you two woke up."

I walked into Aveline's room, happy to escape the sibling rivalry, and saw my little girl standing up in her bed, bouncing up and down excitedly and smiling when she saw me. I smiled back.

"Maaaaaaaaa." She cried and reached for me with her little arms.

"Hi, Ava." I kissed her cheek and braced myself for the aching in my back as I lifted her up and quickly put her down on the floor. She gripped onto my legs and slowly pulled herself up onto wobbly feet. I grabbed her hand with one of my fingers. "Want to see what Auntie Alice is going to do to daddy?"

She recognized the word "daddy" and squealed in delight. I smiled and took small steps with her to the living room. Ever since the accident in the hospital, Aveline's been walking by herself so much more. I've never been so proud of her.

We walked into the living room together, and, after seeing Alice and Edward, stomped her feet excitedly, and rushed towards them. She didn't make it very far. She fell halfway there, and stared at up me as if she didn't know what to do.

"She wanted to see you." I said to Edward, who stopped in mid-argument with his sister, and looked over at me. His eyes shifted over to Aveline, and he ran over to scooped her into his arms. She looked at him with identical green eyes and put her hand on his face.

"I see." Edward said as clearly as he could, then took her hand away from his face, and kissed her on the cheek. He plopped her down onto the couch and rustled her hair before returning back to his sister.

I rolled my eyes, and went over to Aveline, who was trying to get Edward's attention by reaching for him. I sat down next to her and pulled her next to me. The baby kicked at the sudden movement, and I quickly put my hand against the skin. I could feel the little foot against the side of my belly.

Aveline grabbed a clump of my hair and started playing with it. I hadn't even noticed until she yanked it hard, nearly pulling it all out of my head.

"Ouch!" I said a little louder than expected, and untangled her fingers from my long hair. She whined a little, and grabbed it again. I untangled her fingers again, and put her on the floor. She dropped onto the ground, onto her back, and started crying. I stared at her with wide eyes at the sudden tantrum. She had never done this before.

Edward looked over at me and raised his eyebrow in alarm. He looked just as surprised as I was. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I mean, I - I guess. She's just…" I shook my head. "She's never really done this before."

He dropped his conversation with Alice and came up behind me, putting his hands onto my shoulder in comfort. "It's normal. You do know that, right?"

"Yeah." I said, my lips turning to a frown.

His voice dropped to a whisper. "What's wrong, baby?"

I felt a wave of emotions crash into me. My throat felt tight, and my eyes began to sting. Aveline's tantrum wasn't helping. It made me feel awful for letting her sit there, screaming. "Just the wedding, and the baby, and _everything_." I took a deep breath. "And I just really want fries."

"Fri - " He cleared his throat. "Okay, baby. I'm sorry. I know that you're stressed. Why don't you go take a nap? I'll take care of Ava. Alice can go get you some fries."

"Why me?"

"Fine. You take care of the screaming baby, and _I'll _go get the fries."

"Um…. I'm good." Alice said, reaching for her keys.

He mumbled something along the lines of "that's what I thought" then kissed the side of my forehead. "Come on. You deserve some sleep."

Hearing that coming from someone other than myself was amazing. I smiled a little, and counted to three before I pushed myself up from the couch. I told Edward goodnight, and waddled off into our bedroom.

I washed my face, ran a brush through my hair, and changed into a comfortable, plain white t-shirt. It was big and soft, and made me feel better already. But once I crawled into bed - that was it. My eyes were closed, and that was that. I didn't even have to think about drifting off. I was out.

Though going to sleep was quick and easy, waking up was not. I felt groggy and confused when I forced my eyes open hours later. It felt like I had slept for eternity, which is why I groaned when I saw that I had only slept for an hour and a half.

I was also irritated because, an hour and a half later, Alice and Edward were _still _arguing over the goddamn wedding "dilemma." That's when I decided that it was enough. When the maid of honor and the groom can't settle things out, that's when the bride has to step in.

I didn't even bother changing or fixing my hair. I got out of the bed, and stormed as quickly as my pregnant self could into the living room.

"Would you two shut up already?!" I fumed.

They both stopped in mid sentence and started at me. I felt my blood boiling underneath my skin. "There's absolutely nothing to be arguing about!"

"Excuse me, but I'm trying to make your wedding as perfect as it can be."

"I don't care! I don't give a damn!" I screamed. Heat rushed to my face, and I felt my pale skin burning red. "Life isn't perfect, Alice. You need to wake up and realize that." I took a deep breath. "Now where are those goddamn fries? I'm so hungry."

"Um… they're over there." Alice said, pointing to the kitchen counter.

"Thanks." I mumbled, and quickly walked over to get them. I didn't even care about how salty they tasted. They were exactly what I needed after a nap. I took a seat and ate my fries. The conversation in the living room wasn't nearly as intense as before. They were still talking about it, but they were discussing it maturely.

"I'm not wearing makeup." Edward growled at her.

"Okay. Fine. But… what about the ceremony? Can I put some on for that?" She tried to compromise with him. Edward didn't seem too happy about that idea either.

"I… but… agh. I'll think about it." He sighed in defeat.

Alice squealed and kissed his cheek. He shuddered and wiped it instantly with his hand. She rolled her eyes and tightened her purse around her shoulder. "Consider it. Okay? You don't want to look back and regret not covering that up."

"You're terrible."

"That's what they tell me." She winked. "Anyway - I've got to run. I'm planning my own wedding, too, and not that much time to plan it! I'll see you soon." Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked into the kitchen and came over to me. "Get some sleep. Relax. This is your day." Alice smiled. "See ya."

I swallowed my fry and waved as Alice walked out of the door. The house was immediately silent. I finished up my fries, and crinkled up the wrapper, throwing it towards the trashcan, and missing.

Edward walked into the kitchen just in time to witness my failed attempt. He grinned, and ran over to put it in the trashcan.

I smiled, and laughed. "Thanks. You know how much hand-eye-coordination I have."

"I've seen worse…"

I raised both of my eyebrows, and he laughed.

"Maybe not. I'll teach you."

"Can we do that when my stomach isn't the size of the ball?" I put both of my hands on my belly and patted it three times for emphasis.

"Don't call my little girl a basketball!" He teased.

I rubbed my belly. "What else am I supposed to call her? She doesn't even have a name yet!" It was true. The only name conversation we had was when Edward was hurt, and I was trying to keep him awake. Even then, I doubt he was conscious during that.

Edward thought for a moment. "Emily."

"Lucy." I said, remembering back to that night.

"Laina." He said, also referring back to that night. I was surprised that he remembered.

"Lila."

"Jacqueline!"

"Wow. Way to break the 'l' trend." I said, laughing.

He ran his hands through his hair and straightened his posture. "I have an idea." He said. "Why don't I make some Chinese while you look for a movie to watch on the t.v.," Edward grinned. "And come up with some names."

I smiled. "Just like old times."

He nodded, and put his hand on mine. "Just like old times."

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**This is short because I plan on updating this Sunday - I have nothing to do this weekend! FINALLY. I GET TO SLEEP. Anyway… thanks for all of the reviews last chapter. It means a lot! Reviewing this chapter would mean the world to me. ;)**

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**


	34. I'm Holding Onto You

**Life gets in the way of updating sometimes It really does. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in over two weeks. That's really not fair to you guys! (Still friends?) I made this chapter a little longer to make up for it. (:**

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BPOV

I sat on the couch with Edward that night - my last night of being Isabella Swan - my last night of calling him my fiancé. Tomorrow, after all of these years, we'll be married. He'll be my husband. Thinking about that makes my head spin. I had always dreamed about getting married to Edward (those silly high school fantasies), but now it's actually coming true.

A movie flickered on the screen, but I was already paying attention. Too many thoughts were swirling in my head. Daydreaming is a lot better than _The Hunger Games_, anyway.

Edward's fingers suddenly brushed gently across the nape of my neck, while his arm rested behind me. I turned to look at him and smiled. "Yeah?"

"Nothing." He said simply. "Just thinking about tomorrow."

I smiled. "What do you know… I am too."

"And about tomorrow night." Edward grinned.

"Um," I began. "If you think I'm doing anything like _that _when I'm like _this_ then you're completely out of your mind."

Edward stared at me. "I didn't mean that, love." He corrected me. "Alice told me to tell you tonight so you can get ready."

"Tell me what?"

"We managed to work out a honeymoon for us - surprise!" Edward was smiling from ear-to-ear now. The enthusiasm was so obviously written all over his face that I couldn't help but smile back.

"Where?! When?!" I started throwing questions at him. "What about Aveline?! And w-"

"Shh." Edward put a finger to my lips. "It's all taken care of, Bella. You don't have to worry about a thing."

"What about Aveline?" That was my first priority. He had to let me ask that. She's our daughter! Most people don't take their kids on a honeymoon with them. Then again, most people don't have children when they go on their honeymoon. It isn't a problem for other couples. And I'll be dammed if he thinks I'm going to let me drop her off at some daycare for a night or two.

My eyes flickered over to her bedroom door.

"Rose and Em are taking her while we'll be gone. Everything is already packed up for her." He dropped his hand onto my knee and smiled again.

"How the hell did you plan all of - " I stopped myself in mid-sentence. "Alice." He nodded, and I sighed. "Okay, well, can you at least tell me where we're going?"

"Not far. I would have loved to of gone somewhere like Hawaii, or even to another country, but we don't have the money." Edward frowned.

"I don't care about a fancy trip. I don't care about any trip at all." I reassured him. "All I want to be is with you." I kissed him on the cheek. "But you still have to tell me where we're going."

He laughed. "Mount Rainer. It's near Seattle."

My eyes lit up. "We're going to the mountains?"

"Is that okay with you?"

"Yes!" I practically screamed. "Oh, Edward, I've always wanted to go to the mountains. They look so beautiful in all of the pictures!"

He looked surprised by my reaction. Clearly he hadn't expected me to be so excited about taking a five hour road trip to see the snowy mountain tops, and the pretty sunset, but I couldn't have been any more excited. I could already see us drinking hot chocolate in front of the fireplace.

"We're going for four nights." Edward said.

"Okay." I nodded, still smiling.

"And it's going to be cold."

"I know." I bit my lip to stop myself from squealing with excitement. "Oh my god. I can't wait. I love you so much!" I proclaimed, and kissed him, putting all of my happiness into it.

"You know," Edward said breathlessly when I finally pulled away. "We actually have to get married first."

I laughed. "I know. And I can't wait." I said, before I kissed him again.

* * *

At six in the morning, my alarm clock went off. I sat up straight in bed, and put my hand to my thudding heart. I had been dreaming so peacefully that the blaring noise scared me half to death.

Edward rolled over beside me, as his hand fumbled around for the snooze button. I turned the bedside lamp on, and he took that as his que to sit up and turn it off, rather than sleep for another ten minutes.

He looked up at me with squinted green eyes and smiled. "Hey." He said sleepily.

"You're not supposed to talk to me." I reminded him. "You're not even supposed to look at me." I giggled, and put my hands over his eyes.

"Aw. Come on."

"Nope! It's breaking the tradition."

Edward's hands wrapped around me and he pulled them away so they were on either side of his face. "There's nothing traditional about this wedding, now is there?"

I didn't even have to think about it. "Nope. Nothing at all." I shrugged. "But I don't care. Traditional is boring anyway. Who needs traditional?"

"Boring people." He winked, and sat up next to me. "Tell me again why Alice wanted us up so early?"

I picked up my phone and showed him the text message that she sent me. "'So that we can you ready for walking down the aisle, make sure the decorations are set up accordingly, get the food, make sure your flight isn't there's a lot to do!"

"Sounds like something she would say."

I shook my head. "Alice."

"Once the wedding is over, we'll have a few days away from her." Edward reminded me.

"Thank god. We'll finally be able to get some peace and quiet!" I joked, and laughed. The both of us were surprisingly happy for it being so early and dark outside. The anticipation of the wedding, and the nerves that come along with it may have something to do with that.

And as ready as I was to get married, I was reluctant to get on with the day. I want to lay like this with Edward until Aveline woke up. I want to cook a big breakfast, and then go for a family walk together, even though it's freezing cold outside.

I had a feeling that it would be the opposite, and I'd be stuck eating dry cereal out of the box while Alice sprays my hair with million different sticky products.

And I was right.

Not even two hours later, Alice had come and kicked Edward out. (Just like the other day, the two of them argued senselessly), and once they were gone, a parade of people came in. More than I ever would have imagined at seven forty five in the morning.

The mass chaos and loud chattering woke my poor Aveline up. I shot Alice a mini death glare, then waddled into the bedroom to get her from her crib. She was sitting on the mattress crying when I walked over to her. She saw me and hiccupped before standing up.

"Hey darlin'." I grunted as I swiftly put her onto her feet. She ran around the room until she fell onto her bottom, and picked up a toy. Once I had changed her diaper and brushed through her knotted hair, which was already below her chin, I grabbed onto her hand and slowly went back into the living room.

When she saw everyone, she squealed a little, and ran over towards Esme. Esme's eyes light up and she picked her up effortlessly. "Hi there little munchkin. How's my princess doing?"

She spoke complete gibberish to Esme, which everyone, including myself, found adorable. Ava went on and on, and Esme just nodded her head, and talked back to her like she understood what my baby was saying.

"She's too cute." Esme smiled at me. "I miss having little kids around."

"Well," I said, "you're about to have one more!" I put my hand on my belly.

"When are you due?" She asked.

"Around March 1." I smiled. I can't wait to get this baby out. I'm just ready for her to be here already. It's been an extremely tumultuous seven months. I just want to hold her in my arms now.

Esme patted Aveline on the back and kissed her on the cheek. "You're going to be a big sister soon!" Ava babbled on. We both giggled. "I'll bet you're so excited. I'm so proud of you, Bella. You've been through a lot."

"What names were you thinking?" Violet chimed in. "We finally picked one. We're naming her Maddox."

"That's so pretty." I smiled. Maddox sounded like a name that Violet would have picked herself. It fit her little family. "Edward and I have played with a few things, but we're not sure."

"Well, you have two months! Well… only two months." Violet scrunched her face up. "You'll think of something. I know you will."

I could only hope so.

"Okay, ladies!" Alice announced from the front of the room. "We all have nail appointments in fifteen minutes. They're opening up early just for us, so let's get in our cars and go!"

We split up into two different cars and drove there. With it being so early, the traffic wasn't too bad, which was a major relief. I'm sure it took some stress off of Alice's plate. I feel like she's more stressed out about the wedding than I am.

Since I was the bride, they let me go first. Alice even let me pick out my own nail polish. I picked a simple French manicure. It was nice being able to talk to all of my best friends while my swollen feet were massaged in the hot water with Aveline sitting in her baby carrier by my feet. I instantly regretted not getting this done more throughout my pregnancy. Afterwards I felt amazing.

Everyone's nails looked amazing afterwards. It took a while to get it done (they only had three ladies working), but once we were, we all got ourselves Starbucks before we headed back to my house to start on hair.

Even our Starbucks run took longer than expected. Two teenagers brought their brand new puppy inside, and the boys behind the counter were mesmerized by the cuteness. They spent fifteen minutes feeding the dog whipped cream and talking about how cute it was.

Once we all had our drinks, we all hurried to the car. On the way there, Alice called the photographer, the band, and everybody else to make sure that they were still on for today. I was terrified that she was going to crash the car by the way she held the steering wheel with wet nails and one hand. I gripped onto the edge of the seat, and everyone else in the car did too.

In an attempt to calm myself down from the reckless driving, I let Aveline taste some of my whipped cream. I dipped my finger into the drink, and put it into her mouth. Her eyes instantly widened, and she grabbed onto my hand, wanting more. I laughed and gave her another finger-full of whipped cream.

With the exception of one almost-running-the-red-light, we made it home safe. I took a minute to recover, before I went back up to the apartment. That's when the entire place was transformed into a beauty salon. (That's no overstatement, either.)

Alice pushed the couch to the side of the room, and brought in chairs from the kitchen. Makeup was thrown onto the coffee table, and straightens and curlers were plugged in wherever they could be.

Someone turned on music, and soon we were all rushing around to get hair and makeup done. I didn't think it could take _that _long to get six girls (if you include my little Ava) ready for a wedding, but apparently I was wrong.

I didn't go first. They saved me for last knowing that it would be the longest, and knowing they would need all the help that they could get. So I stood around and watched while all of my friends were transformed from "just woke up" to full on beauty queens.

I was ridiculously jealous of Rosalie. She looked like a mirror image of Taylor Swift with her long, golden locks and smoky blue eyes. It felt like a twinge of jealousy to the heart. I looked around the room and realized that I was jealous of all of them. How cute Violet looked with a belly. How Esme looked so lovely and motherly. Alice being her adorable, stunning self.

Then me. Fat and pregnant.

Alice seemed to sense my discomfort, and walked over to me. Then, very quietly, she said, "don't you worry your pretty little mind, you're the most beautiful person in this room even without the makeup. You're perfect already."

I didn't even have to smile, because my heart already was. She motioned for me to sit down in the chair in front of us. I slowly sat down and closed my eyes as she started putting the ivory foundation on my face.

"I realized that you were right the other day." She said as she rubbed it in with her fingers. "About Edward. Life isn't perfect. Everything can't be perfect in life. And, I just…." She patted a little more on. "I want everything to be perfect. I try my best all the time. And let me tell you… it's not fun trying that hard to be perfect. It's not worth it."

All of the other girls were finishing up with their hair, and helping each other with their makeup. I was happy Alice was doing mine. She was a pro at it. She always has been.

"That's why I'm sorry for pushing so hard on this wedding. I just - I - I mean… you've been through so much, and I just wanted something to go 'perfectly' for the two of you. But that's not possible…."

"Alice." I said, and opened my eyes while she was getting out powder. Her blue eyes were watery behind her thick black lashes. "This wedding is absolutely perfect to me. I couldn't have imagined it any better. And that's because of you."

She put her hand to her mouth. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

"Dammit. I knew I should have used waterproof." Alice waved her hands frantically by her eyes and the both of us laughed. "Okay, okay. Sorry. I'm getting emotional here."

"You can't cry yet. The wedding hasn't even started."

"I know, I know." She shook her head. "Let's get this finished."

My makeup alone took a good hour and a half, but for once, I didn't mind. I sat back and relaxed while my face was loaded with tons and tons of makeup. My eyes were closed for most of the time, and that gave me time to think. I felt like I should have thought about the wedding, but I kept thinking about the end product.

When I sneaked a peek, I wasn't too sure. Shimmery eye shadow was up to my brow bone, and my face looked ridiculously pale. Lips were awkward shade of pink, and my hair was a hot mess. That worried me. I didn't want to look like a freak. I had to remind myself that this was Alice who was doing my makeup - my Alice… the one who begged us to do makeovers with her at eleven years old.

That helped me relax a little.

Halfway through, I picked up my phone and saw that I had a few unread texts. One was from Edward (_Two hours until I get to see my beautiful bride… (; _and so I texted him that I'd be the one in white). The other was from my dad. He was waiting down in the lobby of the apartment.

"Esme?" I called. She came over instantly, with baby Aveline still in her arms.

"Yes, darling?"

"My dad is down in the lobby. Can you go get him…?"

"Oh, of course! Rose, hold Aveline, will you?" Rosalie gladly took Aveline from Esme, and immediately kissed her on the cheek. My little girl has to be the most spoiled one year old on the planet. She doesn't even have to walk. At this rate, Edward will be carrying her when they cross the finish line of a race together (given that she follows in his footsteps).

I watched as Alice picked up a brush, and she wiped it over my cheeks. I couldn't wait to see my daddy. With how busy everything has been lately, I've only been able to call him, and occasionally Skype. I'm hoping that after the wedding, we can all visit more often, because not seeing him is killing me.

It didn't take long for him to come up. Five minutes tops. When I heard the door open, I instantly opened my eyes. My dad was standing in the doorway in his wedding tux. His usual long and curly hair was cut short, and so was his mustache. He looked a lot younger with all of his old man hair gone.

"Daddy!" I cried.

"Dada!" Aveline mimicked in a high pitched squeal.

My dad walked over to his granddaughter and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Dear god, she's getting so big. What are you feeding her? Steroids?"

I laughed. "Ha-ha. Missed you too."

My dad scooted in between me and Alice and gave me a little hug, being careful not the smug the makeup on my face. He took a step back and whistled. "Wow, Bells. You look beautiful."

"Does she not?" Alice chimed. "And I'm not even done. She's going to be stunning."

"Edward's going to faint." Rosalie added as she brushed Aveline's hair.

"He really is!" Violet sang.

My cheeks flushed red.

"There we go. Some color on your face!" Alice teased, and grabbed a tube of mascara from her bag. She told me to look up and blink repeatedly as she held the wand an inch away from my eye. I did as she said and tried not to let her poke me.

Soon my makeup was done, and everyone bunch in to help with my hair. Because of how thick it is, they divided and conquered as they straightened and curled, with one person handling a side. I felt my head being yanked this way and that and things were being poked into my head. But in the end it was worth it.

They made me get into the dress before I saw myself, which I was happy about. It gave the full effect. Alice and Rosalie helped me up, and slowly walked with me into my closet, where my dress hid behind all of my old t-shirts. It's been months since I've put it on. I crossed my fingers that it still fit.

I changed into a strapless bra quickly, then stood in front of my friends with my pregnant stomach in full view. I gave them a look that said 'yes, I know I'm fat' before I handed the dress off to them.

They unzipped it, and held it out for me to step in. I closed my eyes as they pulled it up over my legs, over my thighs, and finally my belly. It took a little while top get it over the bump, and it was definitely tighter than it was before. My boobs felt a little tight and so did my stomach, but it fit, and that was all I cared out.

I looked at them both. "… so?"

Alice and Rosalie both looked at each other.

"My baby Bella is growing up!" Alice exclaimed and hugged me very carefully.

"Wait, wait, the veil! The shoes!"

"Oh!" Alice quickly grabbed the bag of wedding things, and handed me my pair of shoes. They were a comfortable pair of lace flats, with a white rose on the top, and pearls dancing around the shoe. They weren't heels and they were easy to walk in, which I loved.

Then the veil. Rosalie had to put it in since Alice is five inches short than my 5'4", and Rose towers five inches over me. She placed it into my hair, and slowly shimmied it down. I felt the white fabric brush against my cheeks, and fall against my bare back. She smiled, then covered threw it over my face. Everything was blurred white.

"Let's go show you off."

They both grabbed my hands and led me back to the living room. I could sense that everyone was standing around me and waiting. I could make out all of their shadows in a circle. Alice and Rosalie let go of my hands. I clenched my fists. I wasn't ready for the sudden attention.

"Three… two… one…" Someone flung the veil off of my face, and everyone gasped. I turned around to find the nearest mirror, and found myself gasping along with them.

I had no reason to feel jealous anymore. The beauty in the mirror stared back at me with a near flawless complexion. Her skin was ivory, and soft, and delicate. Her lips were a deep red, and her cheeks radiated the most natural scarlet in existence. Her eyes were deep brown, and sparkled even in the poor light of the room.

Her dress flowed perfectly off of her body, even with the bump on her tummy. Her dark hair was curled perfectly and pinned halfway with a sapphire wedding comb holding it into place. The veil hung by her face beautifully, only proving that she was the bride, and this was her day.

I touched the mirror. That girl was me. The beauty is _me_. I didn't know what to say. I had never felt so beautiful in my entire life.

"The wedding comb is a family tradition." My dad was the first one to speak. "You'll pass it on to little Aveline when she gets married."

"Oh, my." I breathed, still staring at the girl in the mirror. "I look…"

"Perfect." Alice said. "You look perfect."

I tried my best not to cry. I was determined not to mess up the masterpiece that Alice had created. But when she hugged me, I felt my eyes burning. That's when she whispered to me, "don't worry, I made yours waterproof."

I laughed quietly. "You're the best."

She didn't answer. She rubbed my back then pulled away. "Alright, guys. Why don't we head to the car."

I looked around for my Aveline. She was wearing an adorable white dress. I wanted her to wear white, which is a little backwards. Most brides don't want anyone else to wear white - it's actually consider a faux paus. But I didn't care. She's my daughter, and I want my family to be pointed out. Besides the dress, she had a big bow in her hair, and Rosalie had dabbed a little blush and lip gloss onto her. I laughed. Once again - the most spoiled one year old on the planet.

My family escorted me downstairs, and I was shocked to see a limo parked outside. That was not in the budget. Edward and I hadn't discussed that! But before I could freak out, my dad put his hand on my shoulder.

"I got it. I want you to be happy."

"Daddy… you don't have to get me a limo for me to be happy."

"I know." He shrugged. "But what kind of princess doesn't get a limo on her wedding day?"

I choked on my words again, and before I could say anything, Esme was helping me into the car. I had to be careful not to step on the hem of my dress. Or worse, get it wet in the puddles from the rain last night. Today it was cold, and snowing, which I preferred over the rain. Snow is beautiful, anyway.

It was on the ride to the ceremony when the nerves hit. All of a sudden, my heart was pounding in my chest, and my head was spinning like a rollercoaster. It was a kind of rush I had never felt before. Like the wind had been knocked out of me, or I had fallen out of no where.

I breathed deeply. In one hand, I felt onto my dad, and the other, my daughter. The only person missing from the picture was the love of my life. My soon to be husband. My reason for existence.

I tried to imagine how he was feeling right now. Was his heart beating as quickly as mine? Was he looking out of the window and thinking about me? I didn't know. I could only hope that he was as madly in love with me as I was with him.

The limo slowly came to a stop. I squeezed onto my daddy's hand and looked over at him hopefully. He squeezed my hand back and kissed me on the cheek.

"Love you, dad."

"Love you too, Bells."

The door opened, and Esme leaned in to grab Aveline who was sitting beside me, then Rosalie held out her hand to help me out of the luxurious limo. I took a deep breath and walked towards the building. We went in through the back so we wouldn't risk being seen by anybody, and we all held umbrellas over our head so the snow wouldn't touch us.

We stood in the back room for quite some time. I paced around nervously. These were my last moments of being Isabella Marie Swan. Soon I would be Isabella Marie Cullen. The last name I had doodled onto mine for years on end. Now it would be mine. No more pretending. I know I love Edward. I know he loves me too. I have no reason to be nervous, and yet, for some reason, I am.

Emmett suddenly poked his head through the door. "You guys ready to go?"

Everyone looked over at me for an answer. I nodded my head. "Yes. I'm ready." I said quietly.

Emmett smiled at me. "You look absolutely gorgeous." He said before he disappeared back into the hallway to get the rest of the wedding party. All of the girls in the room came up to me and gave me a gentle hug. They whispered their good lucks, their congratulations, and told me how much they loved me. I was too nervous to do anything but smile.

We all lined up in order and walked down to the entrance to the aisle. I stood behind everyone with the veil over my head. I wanted it to cover to cover my face until my dad handed me off to Edward to symbolize the new life I was about to begin.

The music suddenly started, and Violet and Dylan walked down the aisle together with Seth in between. The three of them held hands, and everyone "awed" at them. I wished that I could have gotten a better view of it.

Next was Emmett and Rosalie. They walked so gracefully, and elegantly. Rosalie's hair bounced with every step. I smiled at how good the two of them looked together. Alice and Jasper. Alice danced down the aisle, more than likely envisioning herself walking down the aisle just two months from now. An old family friend pulled Aveline down the aisle in a little red wagon, and she threw flowers all over.

Then it was me.

I looked over at my dad.

"Don't let me fall, daddy." I whispered as everyone stood for my entrance.

He squeezed onto my arm. "Of course not, Bella."

And we walked. I heard the flashes of cameras, and saw them behind the white veil. But I could care less about the pictures, or the people staring at me, because all I cared about was the man waiting for me at the end. I looked right ahead at him. I was desperate to see his face. I needed him now more than ever.

The time it took to reach the end felt like an eternity. I was shaking with happiness when my dad lifted up my veil and kissed me on the cheek. I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled at my dad one last time before he handed me off to Edward.

I breathed deeply as I joined Edward at the alter. He held onto my hand and ran his thumb across my skin. The moment was so intimate and so right. I couldn't have imagined it any other way.

The audience all took a seat, and the preacher began to speak. We are gathered here today to join together Edward Anthony Mason Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan in holy matrimony…" He announced to our closest friends and family.

The words said by the preacher weren't long. Edward and I had our own vows planned out. And when it was time, the preacher turned to me, and told me to speak.

"From the first day I saw you in middle school, I've loved you. From the night we danced at that silly dance, I've loved you. Starting high school, I've loved you. And finishing high school, I've loved you too. I've loved you through every up and down we've ever been through. Even when I'm mad at you, I love you. And when I'm yelling and saying things I could never mean…. I love you.

It's not possible for me to not love you. I can't imagine a life without you by my side, and I'm so grateful for this life that we've started together." I smiled. "I love you more now than I ever have, and that love is only going to grow."

Emmett handed me a ring, and I put it onto his finger. "I love you." I said soft enough for only Edward to hear. "I love you too." He whispered back with enough passion for those words to echo through my mind for forever.

The preacher then motioned over to Edward for him to start.

"My dad always told me that one day, I was going to meet a girl, and suddenly everything would change. She would be everything I ever thought about, dreamed about, and even talked about. I never believed him until I met you, Bella. You're my life. Without you, there wouldn't be me. You're my other half - my love - my reason - you're my everything. Words cannot even begin to express how important you are to me.

"I can't wait to grow old with you, and watch our kids grow up. There's so much ahead of us, and I want to spend every single moment of it with you. I love you so much, Isabella Swan. I love you more than anyone has ever loved somebody."

I hadn't even realized that tears were streaming down my face until then. I bit my lip and nodded my head because now I knew that he was as madly in love with me as I was with him.

I squeezed onto his hands, and he squeezed them right back. He didn't even have to say the words. I knew that we were both thinking the same thing: _I love you._

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Edward… you may now kiss your bride."

His hands slowly moved up to my face, his thumbs brushing my tears away from my cheeks, before he slid them behind my head, and brought my lips to his. The moment his lips touched mine, everyone in the room disappeared, and suddenly, it was just the two of us.

My husband pulled away, and traced his fingers along my jaw line. "Isabella _Cullen_, I love you more than life itself." He said to me before we turned to the crowd of people and waved, formally introducing ourselves as Mr. and Mrs. Cullen.

* * *

**Almost six thousand words. I'm proud of that. I got teary eyed writing that. They're married! :') Let me know what you think about it. I'll try to update as soon as possible! Thank you so much for reading.**

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**

(The song "Broken" by Lifehouse helped me right this chapter.)


	35. I Will Dance

**Sorry. I've been having some update trouble...  
****Happy Mother's Day! I felt like it was fitting to update today. And I was planning on it anyway. ;) Go ahead and read! I spent quite a bit of time on it. That being said… hope you like it!**

* * *

_BPOV_

The ceremony quickly flowed into the reception, which was set aside in the room next to where we just were. Edward grabbed my hand at the alter, and we walked down the aisle together hand in hand. I smiled at all of my friends and family and reached out to grab their hands as I walked by. I felt like a celebrity walking through a crowd of screaming fans, but for once, I didn't mind.

Once we were out of the room, Edward grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me again. I rubbed my nose against him, then opened my eyes and smiled. He was smiling at me too, his green eyes were sparkling with happiness. He looked elated.

"We're married." I whispered happily.

He brushed a strand of hair away from my face and kissed me again. Softly, tenderly. "Yes." He said. "We're married."

There was a low chatter as everyone walked into the reception area. The smell of food quickly wafted through the doors, and I felt my stomach grumbling. I hadn't even realized how hungry I was until now. Edward heard my stomach growl, and he chuckled.

"We can eat soon. We just have to take these wedding pictures." He didn't sound too happy about that. I smiled and gently brushed my hand against his scarred cheek. Edward and Alice had finally come to an agreement that he wouldn't have to cover up his scars and bruises for the ceremony, but Alice had pleaded some for the pictures.

"I think you look handsome either way." I said softly.

"Of course _you _do." He laughed a little. I ran my thumb against the fading bruise underneath his eye before I dropped my hand. "Speaking of that, have I told you how heartbreakingly beautiful you look?" His hand were suddenly at the back of my head, slowly working their way into my perfect hair. I giggled at the tingles running up my spine.

"No, Mr. Cullen. You haven't."

"I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Cullen. What a terrible way to treat my wife." He grinned and started kissing me again.

A few minutes later, Alice walked in with the rest of the wedding party. Aveline squealed with joy when she saw Edward and I, and tried to squirm away from Rosalie just to get to us. Edward grinned, and swooped her from Rose's arms. She immediately starting babbling on - laughing and saying words we couldn't comprehend. Edward kissed her forehead anyway and humored her.

Alice touched up on my hair and makeup (which she wasn't happy that was a little messy, no thanks to Edward), while the photography set up all of his equipment. I had wanted to take pictures outside, but with the falling snow and freezing snow, that obviously wasn't going to happen. We opted to stand in front of a huge window with a scenic view of the white city behind us.

Edward sulked when Alice walked over to him with the cover up in her hands. He sighed heavily and put Aveline down, who crawled over to sit by my feet. She put very little on her face. In fact, you could hardly even tell that it was on. And if you looked close enough, you could see the little marks on his face.

When she was finished, I walked over and put my arm on my husband's shoulder. He looked over at me and smiled. I rested my head against him and waited as the photography posed everyone for the pictures.

Of course there were the typical ones of the newly weds. I held flowers while Edward stood behind me. He kissed me in a few pictures. We stood side by side holding up our new rings. Then we did some with our perfect family. My little Aveline stood in the middle of us, holding hands with her mommy and daddy. Edward held her in another while I stood by his side.

Those were my favorites. I hadn't seen them yet, but I knew they would be perfect.

After pictures with the bridesmaids, my dad, and Edward's parents, everyone left to go to the reception hall, where Edward and I would share our first dance together. Again - I normally don't like the attention - but today I didn't mind. I was actually a little excited to twirl around the dance floor with Edward. Because when I'm with him, nobody else matters.

Edward gave me hand a little squeeze right as the band said, "we now introduce Mr. and Mrs. Cullen!" He pulled me a little closer as we walked out to the floor to dance. He took a step back and held out his hand. I laughed, and took it in mine like a giddy teenage girl. His arms wrapped around my waist as we swayed back and forth to the soft balled.

_Settle down with me,And I'll be your 'll be my lady.I was made to keep your body warm,But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your no,My heart's against your chest, your lips pressed to my neck.I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love me like you wanna be wanna be loved,You wanna be feels like falling in in love,We're falling in love._

Cameras were flashing all over. I felt the bright lights against my bare back, but I closed my eyes and brought myself closer to Edward. His arms were tight around me, and his fingers danced across the designs on my white gown. I felt his heart beat against mine, and his warm breath against my ear. I stared up at him with happy eyes, and he looked right back down at me. His hand moved up to my face, and brought his lips to mine.

His lips were sweet and warm. His touch was gentle. He was perfect, and 100%, completely mine.

The song slowly faded to an end, but we stood there together, holding each other. I bit my lip and laughed, shaking my head from side to side as I did.

Edward cocked his head to the side. "What's so funny?"

"I'm just so happy." I admitted, and kissed him again.

* * *

I stood at the front of the room and held a bouquet of flowers in my hand. All of the girls crowded in front of me, looking excited and anxious. I almost felt bad throwing such pretty flowers into a sea of girls, but I knew that they would die soon anyway.

I turned around and gripped onto it with both hands, closed my eyes, and threw it over my head. I turned around just in time to watch it fall into Angela Weber's unexpected hands. She looked up at me with a shocked expression written on her face. I just laughed.

Then, of course, there was the garter. Emmett was just about dying with laughter when I sat down in the chair with bright red cheeks. He then went over to Edward and tied his hands behind his back. By this point, I was laughing too. Everyone was. Even my dad!

Emmett whispered something in his brother's ear, and Edward rolled his eyes. I covered my face with my hands and laughed as he walked towards me, looking like a prisoner with hands tied up.

He carefully bit the creamy, lace garter and shimmied it down my leg. I was laughing the entire time, and everyone cheered when Edward "returned" with the garter between his teeth.

Next was the cake, and I honestly couldn't have been more happy about that. My cravings have been through the roof all night long, and a huge slice of cake couldn't have sounded better.

Edward held Aveline as we cut the cake. He balanced her one arm, and with the other, helped me make our first slice. Aveline had a different idea. She reached down for the vanilla icing with eager hands, and squished a piece in her fingers.

I looked at Edward with my jaw to the floor, laughing. Aveline burst into a fit of giggles, and put her hands against Edward, covering him in cake. A few cameras flashed from the group of people in front of us. I covered my mouth with my hand.

"Okay. I'm sorry. That's not fun - " I started laughing. "Okay, well, it is funny." I looked over at Aveline and smiled. "That was supposed to be my job to throw cake at daddy."

She smiled at me.

I looked back up at Edward, and just as I was about to say something, he shoved cake into my mouth. Once I had managed to swallow it, I hit him in the arm. "You suck."

He grinned. "But you love me anyway."

"I love you enough." I teased, before we cut an actual first slice of cake, and acted civilized as we fed each other a bite of each. More cameras flashed. I thought people would have been done taking pictures by this point. Apparently not.

We all ate cake, and helped ourselves to all of the wonderful food brought out. I completely pigged out, and ate as much as my baby and I wanted. It is my wedding day after all. I should be able to eat what I want.

Edward and I sat next to each other with little Aveline by my side at the table. I put a little bit of macaroni on her plate, and as a treat, some cake and tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream. It feels so weird to watch her eating food now, rather than the bottles and bottles of milk I'd grown accustom to feeding her.

My plate had a little bit of everything. I was so hungry that I hardly even talked. I shoved as much as I possibly could down my throat. Edward stared at me like I was an animal in the zoo. (Judged by the way I was eating, it sure felt that way.)

But once I had eaten all that I could, we all made our way to the dance floor. I danced with Emmett for a song or two, and danced with my two new sisters to one of the more upbeat songs that the band played. For one song, I even danced with my little girl. Even though it hurt my back, I bent down to hold her hands, and danced.

Dancing with my daddy was nice, too. The entire floor cleared out, with the exception of Edward and his mom, who danced together - the cliché father daughter, mother son dance. My dad and I swayed back and forth together, since it was hard for me to move around a lot with my pregnant belly.

"You look beautiful, Bells." My dad complimented with a thick throat and watery eyes.

"Thanks, daddy."

He shook his head. "I can't believe that you're married now. And have kids."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "But I'm still your little girl. I always will be."

My dad patted my back a few times, but didn't say anything. We danced around the magic dance floor together, while he hummed along to the lyrics. _So I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms. 'Cause I know something the prince never knew. Oh, I will dance with Cinderella. I don't want to miss even one song. 'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight, and she'll be gone._

I felt hot tears roll down my cheek. I haven't lived with my dad for months now, but thinking about the reality of everything is bittersweet. Nineteen and married with kids. I never thought about how my dad felt about that.

Growing up. That's all it is. We all become the victim of it. I'm happy that I've grown up. I'm happy with my life and the person I've become.

When our dance was finished, I wiped the tears away from my eyes and gave my dad a little hug. He hugged me back, and escorted me back to Edward, who was waiting for me with welcome arms.

I saw Esme returning back to Carlisle with red eyes, and my dad quietly sipped on a glass of water. "Everyone is crying." I frowned.

He wiped away my tears with his thumbs. "They're tears of joy." He reassured, and kissed me on the forehead. "Why don't you dance with me?"

I smiled and took his hand. "I'd be delighted to."

* * *

Leaving the wedding was bittersweet. I'd be saying goodbye to so many people, including my little baby girl for three days. That's the longest I'll have ever been away from her. I hadn't realized how upsetting that was until now.

Edward was packing up to the Volvo with all of our wedding gifts while I said goodbye and thank you to everyone who came. There was a hurricane of tears, and hugs, congratulations, and kisses. My family and friends were everywhere, and I couldn't have been more grateful to have them.

I knew that I wasn't supposed to, but I picked up Aveline and held her close. She played with a strand of my hair and babbled into my ear. I looked into her big, emerald green eyes and smiled. I missed her already.

"Be good, okay?" I said to me. "Mommy is going to miss you… can you say 'miss you?'"

She tried to imitate my words.

"Miss you…"

Her lips puckered together. "Mmmm…."

"Miss you." I whispered.

Edward's hand was suddenly on my shoulder. I turned around to look at him, and smiled. His hand massaged into my neck as he spoke to me. "You ready to go?"

I looked at my baby girl one last time. "Yeah. I think so." I kissed her on the cheek and handed her to Edward. He gave me a disapproving looking. He knew I shouldn't have been holding her.

Once she was in his arms, he spun her around in a little circle, and held her close. She giggled and looked at Edward with the same green eyes she had with me. He smiled at her, making it obvious that he was going to miss her just by the look on his face, before he handed her off to Rosalie.

She looked at the both of us and furrowed her dark eyebrows. I blew a kiss to her and smiled. Aveline grabbed onto Rose's hair and was suddenly preoccupied with that. So much for 'missing mommy.'

As tradition goes, everyone threw rice at us as we walked to the car. When I saw the car, I laughed. Everyone had gotten the car and decorated it. There were white steamers hanging all over, confetti thrown, and "JUST MARRIED" was written on the back window. I turned to look at all of them, and laughed, waving as I did.

"WE LOVE YOU!" Alice screamed from the top step. Her teeth were chattering in the chilly, December air.

"HAVE A SAFE TRIP!" Esme yelled. "NO CAR ACCIDENTS, CALL US WHEN YOU GET THERE!"

"USE CONDOMS THIS TIME!" Emmett yelled. Everyone stopped and looked at him. I simply laughed and got into the car with Edward. He turned on the engine and we waved to our friends and family one last time before we were cruising down the road.

We weren't even fifteen minutes into the drive when I made Edward stop. My bladder was about to explode from all of the water I had drank tonight. The first place we saw was a Burger King, so we pulled into the parking lot, and hurried inside… wearing a tux and a wedding dress.

"Do you want anything to eat?" He asked. "Just while we're here."

"Oh god, yes. I'm starving. Just get me… um… get me the biggest burger they have. And large fries. And a milkshake… please." I grinned sheepishly.

Edward laughed. "Yes ma'am."

I hurried off into the bathroom and tapped my foot against the floor anxiously while I waited for a stall to open. The woman standing in front of me looked at me and smiled.

"Congratulations." She said.

"On the wedding or the baby?" I joked.

The woman laughed. "Both. Nice choice on Burger King for your wedding meal. My husband and I went straight to IHOP afterwards. The food sucked." She was twirling the ring on her finger as she spoke.

"I really had to pee, so I made him stop. We figured we'd eat while we were here."

A stall opened, and the woman gestured for me to go.

"Thank you so much."

"Anytime." She said, and smiled.

It took me a while to figure out how to sit down in this dress. I had to scrunch it up while I was still standing, and, being careful not to drop it into the toilet, sat down and peed. I tapped my foot as I peed, and once I was down, I flushed, washed my hands, and met back up with Edward, who was holding two bags of food.

"Food!" I gasped.

"You're right. Come on, let's get to the car and eat. We have to get to our hotel in the mountains."

The honeymoon. With the chaos of saying goodbye having to pee so badly, I had almost completely forgotten about where we were going. Being reminded of the fresh mountains, and the amazing view reignited the spark of excitement. I took my bag of food from Edward, now grinning, and followed him to the car.

I managed to stuff not only myself, but also my dress into the cramped passenger seat, and, though I struggled with it, buckled my seatbelt. I fidgeted in my seat for a minute before I finally got comfortable. By this point, Edward was pulling out of the parking spot.

I opened up the bag of food and was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of burgers and crispy fries. I picked up two French fries and plopped them into my mouth. My stomach growled even as I ate.

I looked over at Edward and held out a fry for him to eat as he drove. I know how hard it is to eat and drive. Especially something as messy as a burger. Helping him with the fries is the least I can do.

While he drove, I ate. I ate every last bit of food there was, then I moved onto my milkshake. Next to the salty fries, the thick creaminess was perfect. It took me a matter of minutes to finish that.

Honestly, I could have eaten a little more, but I felt happy and full with what I had just eaten. I looked over at Edward, who was also done eating, and rested my head against his shoulder as he drove.

"How long is the car ride?" I asked.

"About two hours." He said quietly. "You can go to sleep if you want. I'll wake you up when we get there."

"Nah. I'm fine."

And I was - for twenty minutes. After that, I was out. I don't even remember falling asleep. All I remember is opening my eyes to Edward saying that we had made it. I sat up, eager to look at the pretty view, but it was dark.

We parked by the lobby, and, Edward carrying the bags, went to check in.

"Hi. I have a reservation under Cullen."

The woman scrolled through her computer. "Hm… Edward?"

"Yeah. And my wife, Bella." He grinned. This was the first time he's been able to introduce me as his wife, and I could see the excitement written all over his face.

"Congrats." The woman smiled. "You'll be staying in cabin six. Just turn right out of the lot and drive for about a mile or so."

When we were out of earshot of the woman, I looked at Edward. "Cabin?"

He nodded. "Yes. Cabin."

My initial response to cabin was camp. Bunk beds with a small bathroom in the back of the room, no shower, and a single window. Graffiti carved into the walls of those who had stayed, and little belongings left behind.

By first thought was completely wrong. This was a nice cabin. Walking in was definitely not what I had expected. The walls were glassy, and the carpet was white and soft. Just walking on it made my feet feel like heaven. It was a single room, like a studio apartment, with a huge wall of windows on the far wall. To the right, there was a kitchen; in the middle, a fireplace, and to the left, a big, spacious, circle bed.

Edward dropped the bags. I felt his eyes on me.

The place was beautiful - better than any hotel room I had ever stayed in. I couldn't wait to see the view tomorrow morning.

"Edward…" My throat felt thick. "This is… this is just beautiful."

He smiled. "You like it?"

I turned to face him and grabbed his hands. "Yes! I love it. This is so great. Thank you."

"You know I'd do anything for you."

I dropped my hand from his and explored the rest of the cabin. I had no idea how he had afforded this. We're not exactly in the best financial state right now. I was tempted to ask, but I didn't. I didn't want to ruin this thinking about money. I wanted to be happy, not stressed.

My hand danced across the unlit fireplace. "What are we going to do?"

"Well," he said. "There's a lot to do. Obviously we don't want to do too much walking with the baby. But there are some really fun things around here that aren't strenuous." Edward smiled. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." I agreed in a soft voice.

"But for now…" He said. "There's a wonderful collection of movies we can rent."

I felt a smile break out on my face, and I held out my hand. "Show me the way."

He took me hand and led me towards the couch. I picked out a movie to watch, and while it played, we lay in each others arms happily and unwrapped all of the wedding gifts. We got a lot of cash and giftcards to places like Target and Babies R' Us. Both of which I was happy for. We were using a lot of Aveline's old stuff for this new baby, but we still need diapers and bottles and binkies.

The movie wasn't even half way over by the time we had finished opening presents, and by that point, we had no clue what was going on. But we continued to hold each other in our arms, and didn't move from that spot where we kissed, snuggled, and loved all night long.

* * *

**Honeymoon time! Haha. I think this story will have maybe five more chapters. I said that a while ago. But oh well. I'm pretty sure this time! Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. (:**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley.**


	36. The Name Game

**Hey guys! So sorry about no update last week - I've been so busy! I'm actually still busy because I'm writing this chapter in DISNEY! (Which is unbelievably exciting.) And my summer just started (also unbelievably exciting.) Anyway, I really hope that you guys like this chapter! I'm on vacation, so I'm hoping to capture that vacation/honeymoon feel very well. (:**

_**Sorry this is not as long as I thought it would be. Start hassling me to update more, by the way. (Either on here or twitter. Username below and on profile!)**_

* * *

_BPOV_

It felt nice waking up the next morning - no screaming baby, no dirty diaper, and nothing to worry about. I rolled over in bed at around ten o'clock with sunlight pouring in through the big windows. Normally, I would have cursed the sunlight, but today, I embraced it. In fact, I smiled and felt the sudden urge to walk over and pull the curtains back. I was desperate to see the gorgeous mountain views. But I was too comfortable to move.

I was laying on my back, and Edward's arm draped across my chest, just above my bulging belly. I breathed in deeply and watched as he fidgeted in his sleep. I didn't want to wake him up. He looked so peaceful. And after a long day yesterday, he deserved all the sleep that he could get. So rather than move and disturb my husband, I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to him.

I didn't fall asleep. I daydreamed instead, coming closer to falling asleep every time. I would feel myself drifting off into slumber when I would suddenly jump awake for no apparent reason. I think at one point I did drift off, because when I opened my eyes, the clock beside us was flashing 11:25. That was when I decided that their had to be a peaceful intervention. I was getting hungry just laying here.

"Edward." I whispered, and put my hands on either side of his face. I leaned in closer and kissed him on the cheek. "It's time to wake up."

He sighed in his sleep and tried to roll over. I smiled and kissed his tired lips. His eyes slowly opened, and he looked slightly confused when he saw me. But his confusion quickly turned into something else: happiness. He grinned and put his hand to my cheek. "Hey." He said in a sleepy voice. Edward cleared his throat.

"Hi." I said and kissed him again.

"Well, good morning to you too."

I laughed and slowly lay back down next to him. He turned on his side so that he was facing me before he began. "Dammit. Sorry for sleeping in so late. I didn't even know how tired I was." Edward apologized.

"I don't care." I told him truthfully. "We were up pretty late." And that was the truth. Once we got settled, we ended up watching movies late into the night. And when the movies began to bore us, we entertained ourselves else wise. Our 3:00am makeout session was perfect, and though it escalated quickly, moving to the bed shortly after it had began, there was no sex. I didn't want that now - not at seven months pregnant.

Edward shrugged. "I still feel bad."

"You can make it up to me with breakfast." I smiled as he looked down at me. I sat up and kissed him on the lips. He grinned for the second time this morning and nodded in agreement. I squealed a little, though I tried my best not to, and we started to get ready for the day. After eating, I figured we would head out and do something together. As much as I loved this fancy cabin, I couldn't wait to see what else there was to do in the mountains.

Officially being husband and wife made my morning routine so much happier. We took a long bath together, and while we did, I played with the rings on both mine and Edward's finger. It's still hard to believe that I'm actually married! And even harder to believe that we've only been married for fifteen hours. It feels like so much longer.

After an amazing, and long, bath, we both got dressed. Edward helped me pick something out from my bag. Since it was even colder here than in Seattle, we decided on a pair of jeans, fuzzy boots, and fuzzy socks, along with a creamy long sleeved white, and a big jacket over it. Even in all of the layers, my stomach popped. I was terrified to find out how much this little girl weighed. While I did my hair, and styled it with a dark gray beanie hat, Edward got dressed. He wore something similar to me. There's not much you can wear besides layers when it comes to this kind of weather, but I don't mind. It's so relaxing and beautiful up here.

By the time we had gotten ready, it was around 12:30, and a little late for breakfast, so we settled for a big lunch instead. Edward held the door open for me, and I stepped outside of the cabin. I wanted to see the mountain view so badly that I headed for the edge of the property, but Edward grabbed my arm.

"Just wait. There's a spot where it'll be even prettier, I promise. Let's just wait until we're up there."

I bit my lip. It would be difficult to wait. "I don't kn - "

"Trust me." His hand ran up and down my arm. "It'll be so much prettier."

I sighed. "Alright. If you're sure."

We walked down for quite some bit before we reached the little restaurant near where we were staying. It wasn't even a mile away, and it would have been nice had my feet not gotten sore halfway through. I didn't say anything to Edward. I didn't want to ruin the moment. Much to our luck, the restaurant was fairly empty, and we were seated within five minutes. They placed us in a booth, and we both sat on the same side... something we don't usually do.

My eyes scanned over the menu. I was absolutely starving. (Probably because I haven't eaten since nine last night. Over twelve hours now!) I ended up ordering a club sandwich with a side of fries and a salad. At the point, Edward didn't even question it, and he ordered himself a steak.

While we waited, we talked about what we were going to do today.

"There are a ton of trails that I thought we could check out." Edward suggested. "Some of them are really cool. Kind of, like, Indiana Jones, you know? Thick brush, lots of hills... or, that's what it looked like in the pictures at least. They looked freaking awesome."

"Edward, I... I - " I tried to smile, but my face was falling. "I can't do that kind of stuff right now... it's too much for me and the baby." I wanted to go out and adventure with Edward, but that just wasn't in the picture right now. It was physically impossible, and dangerous, for me to even try to walk the mountain trails.

"Oh, of course. I was actually going to take us on one of the mild ones. It's practically flat." He explained. In his eyes, I could tell that that wasn't what he wanted to do. At least he wasn't completely throwing the idea away - walking some trails sounded like a lot of fun.

I nodded my head. That sounded great. "Is that where the view is?"

Edward smiled. "You're too smart for me."

We were quiet for a moment. I looked over at him and sighed. "We can come back later and do the other trails." I said to him. "Maybe when the kids are old enough we can go on a big family adventure. Or ask Alice to stay back and watch them while we go together."

He nodded his head. "That sounds absolutely perfect."

Our food arrived shortly after, and, for once, I ate it slowly. I wanted to enjoy every moment of this short vacation. There was no point in rushing everything, even if I was anxious to hear from my baby Aveline. And after we ate, I did. I called Rosalie as we drove up to the mountain trail, since it was about fifteen minutes away. She answered on the third ring, and I was relived to hear that Aveline was being her usual self. Last night wads my first night away from her in over a year, and today is my first full day.

She told me that she'd been playing, and eating, and she'd even gone with Rosalie to the grocery store, which didn't surprise me. I'm sure Rose would love to have a baby sitting in the trolley as she pushed it around the store, catching the attention of every girl within a ten foot radius. And just the fact that she loves kids - she works at a preschool for god's sake. Nonetheless, I was happy that Aveline was doing alright without me. I told Edward what Rose had to say, and he was happy to hear the good news.

Just driving up to the trails gave me an idea of how gorgeous the view would be. As we got higher, the purple flowers and green grass slowly faded into a white, dusty sheet of snow. It slowly fell from the sky and onto the car. I smiled, and looked out the window behind us, watching as we got further and further away. Soon there was nothing but snow, the beautiful clear sky ahead of us. My ears started to pop as we got higher.

I reached over and put my hand on Edward's shoulder as he smoothly parked into the empty parking lot. Apparently we were the only one's who wanted to walk through the trail, which made it a million times more peaceful for us. We both pulled ourselves out of the car, and put a few extra layers on to stay warm. Once we were done with that, we were off. Edward took my hand in his, and we walked close together, our bodies touching with each stride.

We didn't say much. The serenity of the trees and the closeness of my lover beside me made talking seem so irrelevant. We didn't need to speak. The atmosphere spoke for itself. I held onto Edward's hand a little more tightly as we continued through the white path, our feet crunched as we walked, leaving our footprints in the untouched snow.

It didn't take us long to reach the end of the trail - half an hour tops. There was a break in the trees at the end of the path, and light was shining through. I bit my lip in excitement, and looked over at Edward, who was already smiling at my reaction to the view. He know how much I wanted to see it. So he squeezed my hand a little, and he followed as I quickened my pace. Had I not been pregnant, I would have ran.

When I made it to the top, I let go of Edward's hand and gasped. It was more breathtaking than I could have ever imagined.

Down below were the hundreds of thousands of trees blowing in the wind. Purple flowers danced in the green grass. Out in the distance, other mountain tops stared back at me, with fluffy white clouds, and an endless blue sky hiding behind. The sun crept in behind the snow covered mountains and shined brightly against my wind burnt skin. I put my hand out as though I could touch the picture in front of me. It was too beautiful to be real.

"Told you." Edward said from behind me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I couldn't even turn to look at him. The view was too perfect. "Yes." I whispered. "This is so amazing." I finally turned to look at him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Taking me here." I shook my head in disbelief. "This is better than any Disney vacation or any trip out of the country."

"I'm glad you like it." He smiled and kissed me. I kissed him back for a short second, then turned my attention back to the beautiful view.

The two of us ended up spending most of our afternoon there. We sat down at the overlook and nestled in each others arms, talking about anything and everything. It was peaceful and calm, and after I had gotten over the initial shock of the beauty, I was able to hold a conversation with Edward. The words melted out of my mouth, pouring with each different conversation. Talking to him had never felt so easy.

I wanted to stay there all day and all night, and had it not nearly dropped into the negatives, I would have convinced Edward to stay with me. I kept reminded myself that one day we would come back together, and maybe we could camp out together. I kept that promise in the back of my mind as we made our way back to the car and turned the heater up as high as it would go.

"What was the name of that trail?" I asked Edward on the way back.

"Um..." He thought for a moment. "I think something like the 'light' trail."

And when we got back to the room, we looked up baby names that means light on Edward's phone while I soaked in the bathtub. We thought that it would be symbolic to do it like that, sine Aveline's name has some meaning behind it as well. I lathered soap down my arm while Edward read off the incredibly long list of names to me. There were a lot more than I had expected.

"Cindy..." I shook my head no. "Elaine... Ellen...?"

"They sound kind of like Esme to me." I said. "And you're name starts with an 'E' too."

"Alright, I guess it's a no to those too." He paused. "I didn't think Elaine was bad, though."

Elaine Cullen. Edward Cullen. Esme Cullen. "Keep reading." I said and rinsed off my legs. Edward sighed then continued.

"Karen... Karen Cullen." He laughed. "Too much alliteration... um... let's see. Well look at that." He announced. "Laina and Lucy."

I dropped the soap into the bath water. "You've got to be kidding me."

But he wasn't. Edward showed me the screen. The names were listed next to each other. Lucy - light. Laina - light. I laughed a little. It was almost ironic that I had suggested not one, but both of those names earlier in the pregnancy. Maybe even fate. I sunk down into the water, wetting my hair, then popped back up, looking at Edward.

"What does that mean?" I asked, water dripping from my head. "Should we one of them?"

"I like them for sure. They're pretty."

"Which one do you like better?" I crossed my fingers in the water hoping that he would pick the one I liked as well. That way there would be no headaches because of the name. I had no problem with either of them, but I preferred one over the other.

"I like Laina." Edward said.

I frowned. "I like Lucy."

We both looked at each other for a long moment. Obviously we were going to have to compromise on this. Maybe even ask some other people which they liked over the other. I was in love with Lucy. Over the past few weeks, it had grown on me more than I thought it would, and after today, it made the name a thousand times more perfect. Edward didn't see it quite like that. Hopefully I'd be able to get him to see my side. Honestly, I was happy that we were moving somewhere with the name process. Seven months in and only just today do we have two options - not even a decision. If we wait much longer then the baby might be here!

Aside from the baby naming, the rest of the night went by peacefully. I changed into pajamas, and sat on my phone, looking at all of the pictures from the wedding on Facebook. They looked absolutely stunning. The quality was perfect. I was convinced that the photography had used photoshop on all of my pictures, but I remembered that we asked him not to do that beforehand. Alice really did do a good job.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked, sitting down on the bed next to me with a cup in his hands. I took it and took a quick sip without a clue as to what it was.

I showed him. "Wedding pictures."

"Ah." He said, putting the drink down and cuddling up next to me. We looked at the pictures together for a good half hour, commenting on all of them. Emmett's dancing was ridiculous; Aveline was adorable; his mom didn't stop crying the entire night... things like that. By the time we were done, it was late, and I could feel the exhaustion creeping over me.

"Tired?"

"Yeah." I admitted. "A little."

He pulled the blankets back, and we both crawled in without another word. Edward reached over to turn the lights off, and we were side by side in the dark, ready to fall asleep. "Night, Bella." He said to me. "Night Laina."

I froze. Oh, this meant war.

* * *

**Whoops! Maybe he shouldn't have done that! Haha. Sorry about the wait. I wrote this earlier, but fanfiction was blocked on the network (apparently Disney doesn't understand fanfiction...) but I got it through. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day!**

**Oh, and sorry I've been behind on responding to reviews. I'm going back and trying to answer them all today while I'm chilling in a hotel room. (Follow me on twitter. Or tumblr. I'm bored! halleybrown13 / mystorymyrules.) I'll answer any questions about the story if you tweet me.  
**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley**


	37. Flying High

**I wish I had an excuse, but I really don't. I should have updated. I'm on break and I have nothing to do, and I'm so incredibly sorry. This chapter is fairly long though. Roughly 5,000 words and thirteen pages. I hope that makes up for it. ):**

**I have an announcement, which I'll announce at the bottom… only if you're interested in helping, though. (:**

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_BPOV_

"I'm just saying," I said to Edward as I folded one of Aveline's shirts and put it in the suitcase, "that Lucy sounds very classy."

"And _I'm _just saying that Laina is very unique - you need help with that?" He stopped himself to help me grab the empty diaper bag from the top shelf of Aveline's closer.

I sighed. "We've been arguing over this for about four weeks now."

"May the better name win." He winked at me, and I sighed again.

It's January now, almost February, and we're getting ready to drive down to California for Alice's wedding. This is the last time I'll see some of these people before the baby comes in a matter of weeks. By this point, I just want the baby to be here. The constant hormonal rampages, cravings, and swollen feet is beginning to get old. Not only that, but I can't wait to hold her - whatever her name will be - in my arms.

Edward and I are heading to California a few days earlier than everyone else. We want to take advantage of the warmer weather and the pretty beaches. Plus it'll be a nice way to spend time with Ava before the baby gets here. Alice is renting out hotel rooms for everyone, so that's covered. It's just a matter of packing, which is proving to be harder than I thought.

I ran my hands through my hair. "Okay, okay. Six shirts… three dresses… pants… oh, dammit. Diapers. How could I forget diapers?" I waddled over to the changing table and threw the entire bag into the suitcase.

"I hate to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but we're only there for four days." Edward said, motioning towards the six t-shirts I had laid out.

"One year olds are prone to stain everything they touch." I reminded him.

"Ah." He nodded and put the shirts back down, watching as I ran around the room packing this and that. I saw his lips turn up into a smile, and he walked over to me, putting his hand on my the small of my back. "You have all day to pack. Don't stress yourself out."

"I have a doctor's appointment later, and I wanted to pick up groceries for the trip so we don't have to eat out all the time." I put a pair of shoes in. "Are you coming?"

"To…?" Edward took a seat on the bed.

"The appointment!"

"Oh, oh, oh. Of course I am." He said as if I were crazy. "Why wouldn't I? I always go."

"I don't know." I mumbled as I double checked everything in the suitcase. I figured I had everything. And if not, then we would have to live with it. That's another reason for bringing extras - you'll always be prepared even if you forget. I zipped it up and sighed, putting my hands on top of it. "Now time for ours…"

"I can help." Edward offered.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "It's just packing."

"Okay, that's fine. I'm just going to get ready for the appointment." I then quickly reminded him of what we needed. Four different outfits - I trusted him with my clothes -, the wedding tux, my dress, shoes, toiletries, and my slippers. (The slippers have done wonders for my poor feet.) "Thank you." I said and kissed him on the cheek before I went to take a bath.

I was sort of in a rush, and a shower would have been great, but baths are just so much more comfortable for me at this point. I ran the water and dropped my clothes on the ground, dipping my toe into the tub to make sure it was warm enough. I felt chills run up my back as I stepped in, emerging myself in the bath.

My belly stuck up like a mountain over the water, and little droplets dripped down them like raindrops. I smiled and put my hand atop of it, then rubbed my stomach. I felt a tiny kick on the side, and I immediately moved my hand to that spot.

"Hi baby." I whispered, then paused for a moment. "Hi Lucy." I sat up a little in the tub, leaning my head against the white bath. "I can't wait to meet you. Neither can your daddy. He's excited too." It didn't feel weird talking to someone who wasn't here. It felt natural to me. "You have a sister. She's such a good baby."

After talking to my Lucy, I washed my hair, and lathered soap over my bare skin. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes when I slowly pulled myself out of the bubbly water, and reached for a towel. My back hurt a little from standing up. I shook my head, and prayed that these next few weeks would fly by.

I pulled a yellow shirt with ruffled red, short sleeves over my head and wiggled into my jeans. I grabbed one of my jackets for warmth, since it was still freezing outside, and left my hair down to dry before I went back into the bedroom. Edward had just finished packing as I walked in.

"All done." He said, smiling triumphantly.

"Wow." I put my both of my hands on my hips. "Already?" He nodded, and I smiled. "Thanks so much, baby. That really helped me out."

"Anything for my _wife_." He was still getting used to calling me his wife. He said it every time we met someone new. "My wife, Bella," is becoming his new catch phrase in life. Edward looked at the clock. "Oh, we'd better get going."

I looked too. "Oh, shit. Is it really that late?"

He handed me the keys. "I'll grab Ava." She was playing in the living room, just in our sight, playing with her toys. "You head to the car."

Needing the head start, I caught the keys and headed out the door, waddling the whole way there. I had to wait for the elevator, since stairs were obviously out of the picture, and that took ages. I think I would have been better taking them by the time it reached our floor, and that says a lot. Once I was in, it went straight to the ground floor. Everyone else in the elevator let me out first. I thanked them as I walked out, and headed towards the Volvo.

The new car seat was already installed in the back next to Aveline's. The only difference is that this one is purple. I would have given her Aveline's, and gotten her a "big girl one" but the doctor told us it was safer to keep her in a rear-facing car seat until she was two.

Edward and Ava rushed into the parking garage minutes later. Edward buckled her in super quickly to escape the wintry weather, and then pulled himself into the driver's seat. I already had the heat cranking, so he put his hands in front of the vent and shivered.

"Damn, it's cold."

"Shh. No cursing in front of the babies."

"Babies?" He teased.

I put my hand on my belly. "She can hear you, you know."

Edward laughed, and backed out the parking space. In no time, we were on our way to the hospital, ready for our eight month check up.

I still found it hard to believe that eight months have passed. Eight months ago, I hadn't even graduated high school, and Aveline was only six months old. Now I'm a stay at home mom, and nineteen years old with a baby, and one on the way.

The nurses greeted us with a smile when we walked into the waiting room. Edward checked us in while I found a seat for the three of us. People stared as I waddled towards a chair, holding Aveline's hand the entire way. I ignored them as I sat down and paid attention to Ava, who was standing in front of me.

"Mama, mama, mama." She chanted, patting her hands on my knees. "I dance."

"You dance?" I laughed a little.

"_Dance_." She repeated loudly.

"Okay, then dance, sweetie."

"Noooooo!" Aveline wailed. She stomped her feet on the tile floor. "Dance!" She voice screeched. Everyone in the room turned to look at us. A few of them glared. I rolled my eyes and held both of her hands in mine. She pulled them away and continued to stomp her feet.

Just then, Edward walked up. He came up behind her, and scooped her into his arms, and slung her over his back. My eyes widened, and I bit my lip.

"Don't drop her…"

"I'm not." He reassured me, but brought her back to his arms, and took a seat next to me. Aveline tried to stand up on his lap, so he readjusted her so she was sitting down. She cried a little in his lap. She was very restless today.

"Did you put her down for her nap?" He was supposed to put her down while I took a nap myself. I've been feeling exhausted from the pregnancy lately.

"Uh…"

"_Edward_!"

"I thought she would be fine without it. I just th - "

"She gets unbelievably fussy when she doesn't take her nap." I scolded him. "No wonder she's acting like this." I looked over at Aveline, who was crying in Edward's grasp. I sighed and wiped the tears with my thumbs and frowned. "My poor baby." Her bottom lip was whimpering. "Let me hold her."

"Bella, you're not supposed to be picking her up."

"I'll be fine." I said, and put her on my lap. She barely fit with the size of my bulging stomach, but I somehow managed to fit her on my knee. Ava looked up at me with watering eyes, and I instantly knew she was tired. Why didn't he put her down for her nap? I wanted to yell at him for forgetting, but before I could, a nurse came out and called my name.

I looked at Edward for help. He smiled, and took Aveline from me, then grabbed my hand to help me up.

"Oh!" I said as I got up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." I said, walking towards the nurse with the clipboard. "It's just a lot harder getting up when you have another person inside of you."

We walked back into the room, where the nurse helped me onto the bed with the wrinkly paper. I lay back and put my hands on my belly, looking at Edward. He was sitting in the chair next to the examination table, holding Ava in his arms. Her head rested on his shoulder and her eyes were fighting to stay open. What a stubborn little girl she was!

"Is she asleep?" He whispered.

"Not yet." I whispered back. "She will soon. Maybe we should have brought the stroller."

Edward chuckled. "Maybe."

Soon after the doctor walked in. She asked a few questions while she washed her hands, and typed some things into her laptop. I watched while she did the routine I had come to learn. (In the past year I've been to the doctor's office one too many times.)

I asked her a question about traveling. Since Alice insisted on getting marred so far away - San Francisco, for god's sake! - we would have to fly there. We were lucky - only family got the luxury of flying there. All the other ninety somewhat people will have to drive the tedious thirteen hours.

"You should be fine. Any further along and I'd have to say no. But you've been in good health, and flying won't hurt you or the baby." The doctor smiled. "Where are you guys headed?"

"San Francisco for my sister's wedding." He smiled.

She then sat on the chair, and swiveled towards the ultrasound machine. "Well, tell her I said congratulations!" She then squirted the gel onto my enormous stomach and rubbed her hands together. "Let's get this ultrasound started!"

A few minutes into it, she finally commented. "Oh, wow. What a big baby!" She exclaimed out loud, then stopped herself, as though she meant to keep it to herself.

"Really?" I asked. That wasn't good. I don't want to deliver a huge baby!

"I could be wrong." She said. "But she looks healthy. Very healthy." Edward grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze when she said this. "We're planning on March 1 for delivery, so just over a month."

"Agh. So close."

"It'll fly by!" We both laughed. "Hm. So, there's the head." She pointed to the screen. "Then the feet… hands… and tummy." The doctor turned off the ultrasound machine, and handed us the pictures that they had taken. "I don't see anything. She looks perfect. But we're going to check the heartbeat as well."

I nodded, and waited anxiously for her to check the heartbeat. I love listening to the heart. Maybe even more than the ultrasound. I love the way it sounds. I closed my eyes and let the doctor do her work. It took her a while to find it - probably because of the size of my goddamn stomach - but once she found it, I was overwhelmed by the emotion that struck my heart.

"She has a strong heartbeat." The nurse said quietly.

I nodded my head and continued to listen. It sounded like a train rushing by. I smiled at how funny it sounded. At how perfect it sounded. How beautiful. We must have listened for five minutes before she switched it up.

"Well, that's it for today. Next time we meet, Miss…" She paused. "What's the name?"

I looked at Edward and groaned. "Either Lucy or Laina."

"You can just call her Laina." Edward chimed in. I glared at him. The doctor laughed.

"Well, she'll be here next time we meet! And that's all that matters." She smiled. "We'll just clean you up then you'll be good to go."

After cleaning the gel after my stomach, I grabbed onto Edward's arm, and we headed back towards the car. Aveline was dead asleep in his arms, like I figured would happen. I was just hoping that this wouldn't affect her sleep tonight. I don't want to be up all night the day before we leave for California.

Nonetheless, we drove home with a sleeping baby in the backseat. Music was humming softly while Edward drove and I looked at the ultrasound pictures. It was hard to see, but looking at them just makes me feel so happy.

I didn't feel like cooking when we got back to the house, so Edward cooked for me while I cuddled on the couch with the t.v. on. Aveline was in her bed sleeping soundly, and food was on the way. We even ate it on the couch together since it was just the two of us.

"I present our gourmet meal of macaroni and cheese."

"Mmm. Delish." I said, taking the plate from him and digging in.

"What are you watching?"

"_Long Island Medium_."

"Sounds… interesting."

"Shh. You're ruining the moment. She's giving a reading to this woman who lost her son. How rude." I teased him, nudging my shoulder into his. He laughed at me, and started watching the show.

He normally doesn't watch things like this. Anything considered "haunted," that is. And when you put "reality t.v." in front of that, definitely not. But he actually seemed to enjoy it. Not that I can blame him. It's a fairly good show for something on TLC. Better than the other stupid shows they play, like Toddlers and Tiaras.

When it went to commercial, he looked over at me. "What time are you going to bed?"

I blinked. "Edward. It's seven twenty."

"I know, silly girl. I meant later."

"Oh." I thought for a minute. "Maybe around nine, since we're leaving early tomorrow." We had to leave at the crack of dawn, since Alice booked our flight for five in the morning, which meant we had to be there for four in the morning.

Not even an hour after I said this, I was passed out on the coach.

* * *

"Do have the suitcases? Diaper bag? Toiletries?"

"For the fifth time, yes, yes, and yes."

"We're leaving for four days. I want to make sure that we have everything."

The clock was blinking 3:50. We were already running behind schedule. That made my brain hurt, my stress level go through the roof, and not to mention the suddenly hormonal outburst. And all I want is fries. But I can't have that because nothing is open this early.

Edward was about to say something, but I interrupted him. "Just forget it. Okay? Let's just get out of here." I stopped myself. "Don't forget the stroller."

"Bella. Go to the car."

"You don't have to talk to me like that."

He sighed. "Love, would you _please_ go to the car?"

"Yes. I will." I said, grabbing two of the bags from the floor and slumping them over my shoulder as I waddled out of the house. This is the only time all of us have been out of the house. It's also our first family vacation, which was exciting.

I made my way down to the car and waited for the two of them to come. It took a little longer than usual, since Edward was dragging a handful of suitcases, along with a baby. I had offered to help, but he didn't want me walking around more than needed.

Typical Edward.

Ten minutes later, at around four in the morning, he was hurrying towards the car. He strapped Aveline in, and threw the stuff into the back.

"Airport time." He said excitedly as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Let's hurry. We're going to be late."

"We'll be fine."

It pissed me off that he was right. He was always right. In fact, we got there a little early. And once we checked in, we had fifteen minutes to spare. So while we waited, Edward got me the fries I had wanted to badly. I didn't even care that people were questioning me. I'm eight months pregnant, and if I want fries, I'm getting fries. I ate them in five minutes, too, which I'm sure gave me even more stares.

When it was time to board, I held onto our carry-ons while Edward carried Aveline, who was dead asleep, onto the plane. We took our seats, Aveline on the end, me in the middle, and Edward by the aisle.

Ava woke up at the sudden commotion. People were talking, and the lights were all on. I lifted up the arm seat and let her lay down on my lap. She fell back asleep instantly. I was dreading when it was time to take off. She'd have to sit up, and would probably throw a fit.

I was pleasantly surprised when she didn't. She cried a little, more than likely feeling confused with us taking off, and being woken up in a strange place. I was expecting a full-out tantrum. Instead, she looked at me with watery green eyes, and looked around the room. I grabbed her hand and smiled at her.

"We're flying." I whispered. "Like Tinkerbelle."

She didn't seem to hear me. But after fifteen minutes, when we were finally up in the air and soaring smoothly, she curled up in a little ball, and fell back asleep. I laughed a little at the position she was in, before I leaned into Edward for a comfortable two hour flight.

Boy, was I wrong.

It would be just my luck to feel intense morning sickness while we're 4,000 miles above the ground, on a plane, and in public. It hit me out of nowhere, too. One second I was cuddling with Edward, and murmuring quickly about this and that, and the next - bam!, sick to my stomach.

"Edward, I don't feel so well…"

"What do you mean?"

"I think I'm going to - " I put my hand to my chest and swallowed. "Oh, god. Pass me that bag, pass me the bag."

"What bag?"

"I don't care! A bag!"

"But that's the dia - "

I grabbed it from his hands and puked into it, completely ruining all of the diapers, toys, and the bag itself. I dropped it onto my lap and stared ahead, still feeling a little nauseous and light headed. Just as Edward began to ask me if I was alright, I puked again.

"Edward." I said quietly.

"Um, yes… honey?"

"Can you throw that away? I'm going to the bathroom for a minute."

"Alright, well, um, you do that…"

I stood up from my seat and walked back to the bathroom. A few people stared, but once they say my baby bump, they nodded in understanding. _Never mind me_, I wanted to say, _Just the pregnant lady who threw up on the plane coming through. No big deal._ But instead, I breathed deeply and locked myself in the bathroom.

I rinsed my face with cold water, and wet a few pieces of my hair that were stuck to my face, and sticky with spit. I then grabbed the ponytail from my wrist and put my hair up. There was so much of it. I wanted to cut it off. I sighed and looked at my pale reflection one last time before I waddled back to my seat.

I sat back down and rested my head against Edward. He wrapped his arm around me and ran his hand up and down my arm soothingly. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. Damn morning sickness always comes at the most inconvenient times.

Lucky for us, the remainder of the flight was seemingly uneventful. When it was light outside, I opened the window and held Aveline up so she could see outside. Her green eyes widened, and she was suddenly occupied for the remaining thirty minutes.

But when it was time to land, we buckled her back in, and she fussed a little over that, but I held her hand, and kept her occupied while the plane went back to the ground. I started clapping when landed, and Aveline joined in, squealing as she did.

"Thank you for flying Delta Airlines." The pilot came over the intercom. "You may now make your way to the nearest exit."

The people on the plane were surprisingly kind to us. They didn't see us as two knocked up teenagers - they respected the fact that I was pregnant by waiting for me to get out of my seat so I wouldn't be trampled by the long line behind.

I mouthed a "thank you" to the woman holding up the line for me, and we got off of the plane. As hungry as I was, we had to get our bags first. (That's where the stash of peanut butter was hidden anyway.) I held Aveline's hand while Edward rushed up to the carousel of luggage to grab out stuff. Once we had it, we headed outside to flag down a taxi, where we would head to our hotel, which was paid for, courtesy of Alice.

The drive there took forever, mainly because of the traffic, but it was nice to see the city, even if it was from inside of a nasty taxi cab. Once we finally got there, Edward tipped the guy, and we went inside to check in.

"Hi, we're here for a wedding… we have a reservation under Cullen." Edward said to the woman behind the desk. She had long, dead straight, red hair, and big brown eyes. She typed into her computer, and pulled it up, then handed us our room key, wishing us a nice stay.

We took the elevator up to the room. I was happy to be here. It was already a breath of fresh air. Sometimes getting away from home is exactly what you need. Escaping from chaos is always perfection.

The room was nice. There was one bed, and in the closet, a pack-n-play for Aveline. There was also a television, and a couch, and a mini fridge, which we immediately stocked up with all of the food we brought. I grabbed the peanut butter and ate it with a spoon from the bottle.

Aveline ran around the room, exploring the unfamiliar place. Her little feet padded against the soft carpet, and she breathed deeply as she ran back and forth repeatedly. I took my shoes off and collapsed on the bed.

Was it really only eight o'clock?

Edward sat down next to me and put his hand on my thigh. I looked at him. "Hey?"

"Hey." He said, laying down on the bed next to me. He brushed a strand of hair that had falling from my bun behind my ear and smiled. Before I could smile back, his lips were against mine with a little more force than I had expected. His hands were rested just above my belly, and inches away from my breasts. Our eyes locked for a long moment.

"Not now." I whispered.

"Why not?" He whispered back.

I looked at Aveline, who was still continually running through the hotel like there were ants in her pants.

"Okay, I guess you're right." He dropped his hands, but pulled me closer to him. "This will do for now."

I snuggled closer to him. "For now."

After an hour of sitting around the hotel room, eating, and getting dressed, we decided it would be a good idea to check out the city and start day one of our family vacation. Aveline was wearing black pants and a white and black striped shirt, along with a thick jacket and a hat for warmth. Edward put her in the stroller, and we headed outside.

We didn't want to do too much today, so we decided to go to a children's museum. The sign said it was hands on, so Aveline would have some fun with all of the things they had to do. I just hoped that my feet would hold out for it.

There were lots of different colors and games and lights when we entered the museum. Aveline looked at all of them in wonder, her green eyes lighting up. Edward knelt beside her and pointed to a bunch of different things. She banged her hands against the stroller and fought against the buckle. He unbuckled it for her, and she ran towards some life sized piano you could walk on.

When she took a step, she jumped a little at the noise. Once she realized how it worked, she ran back and forth on the keys, screaming with happiness the entire time. I grabbed onto Edward and watched as her little face lit up with pure joy.

I think she could have stayed there for the rest of the day, but we had to drag her away when other kids wanted a turn. She wasn't too happy about that - she's not used to having to share -, so she threw a little tantrum.

"Ava. Those kids want a turn."

"I-I-I I wanna…." Her voice broke off and she started screaming.

Edward and I both sighed and wheeled the stroller next to a little bench. I took a seat, and held both of Aveline's hands in mine.

"Sweetie, I know that you want to play." I ran my hands through her long hair. "But you need to share with the other kids, just like you're going to share with your baby sister." She sniffled as I continued on. "Are you going to share with your sister?"

"No."

Edward snorted. I gave him a look before returning my attention back to my crying toddler. "That's not very nice. You hurt the baby's feelings." I said, putting my hand on my stomach. "You need to say sorry."

It took her a while. She stomped her feet for a little while and looked around the room like she was trying to delay it. But finally, she looked up and me and said, "sorry." She put her hand on my belly and patted it a few times. I laughed and kissed her on the head.

"What a good big sister." I said to her. Edward held his hand out and helped me back up. Aveline ran in the middle of us and grabbed my hand, while Edward pushed the stroller, walking as close to me as he possibly could.

I'd never felt more like a family than now.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! It's weird having Ava gro****w up. I feel like she's still a baby…! That's sad. Anyway, I have some news. But it's not relating to the story, so skip it if you wish!**

**You remember that contest I asked you to vote for? Well, I made it to the final round! It's me against nine other people for a chance to meet Taylor Swift. Starting on June 24****th****, you can go to , and vote for me and my friend. I'll give you guys more details if you're interested….**

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**Thanks, I love you all!  
****Halley**


	38. Time

**HI! I wrote this in a hotel room. (Story of my life.) Kind of a delayed update because I worked for a few days, just cleaning out some ladies house, and then went on vacation! And it's not easy writing when you're not at home, let me tell you. I seem to do it a lot, though. ;) Thanks for all of the reviews last chapter! So wonderful. I'm less than 20 away from 600! (Ahh!) THANK YOU I LOVE YOU ALL.  
Sorry for the short chapter. :/  
**

* * *

_BPOV_

The day of Alice's wedding had finally arrived. The rest of the wedding party had just flown in the night before, and since then, everything has been mass chaos. I suddenly went from having a carefree, relaxing family vacation to full-blown havoc.

Alice was being... well, Alice. More so that her wedding was in less than twelve hours. She printed out a god damn itinerary for everyone to follow - and heaven forbid that I get out of bed three minutes later than she wanted me too. It was literally 6:03 in the morning when I heard pounding on my door along and my phone exploding with texts.

I groaned loudly and rolled out of bed. I waddled over to the door and flung it open. Alice was standing on the other side in a silky pink robe with her arms crossed over her chest. "You were supposed to be in my room three minutes ago."

"You're kidding me. Right?"

"You really think I'd be joking on my wedding day?!"

"You're going to have to give me five minutes so I can wake up my SLEEPING one year old, and my husband, who was up with her all goddamn night long." I snapped. This clearly wasn't my morning. Then again, most wouldn't be happy with a wake up call like this so early. Before she could answer, I closed the door in her face and walked back over to the bed.

Edward was laying down with her arms folded behind his head. I stood by the edge of the bed and gave him a look that clearly said 'get up.'

"I know. I heard the whole thing." He said with a sigh as he pushed the tangled mess of blankets off of his legs.

"Get Aveline up." I instructed. "I'm pulling out some clothes to wear."

Though I had told Alice five minutes, it took around ten. Aveline was not happy being up so early, and wouldn't stop screaming until we made her a bottle of milk. (I couldn't be bothered to give her a sippy cup this morning, even if we've been trying to ween her off of it.) I changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. Aveline was in her pajamas, and Edward slipped into a casual pair of jeans. I hitched the diaper bag over my shoulder and we walked over to Alice's hotel room, where she had already transformed into even more of a bridezilla than before.

It was like my wedding times thirty. We didn't leave the room. Alice had everyone coming to us. Professional hairdressers, people to do our nails and makeup, someone to make sure everything was matching. I had to admit that it was a little over the top, but I kept my mouth shut and did as Alice asked. I didn't want to upset her even more than I already had, even if she has gotten (and probably is) over it by now.

Aveline was fairly fussy, which I expected. She sat with her toys and cried for a good half hour, until Edward rushed into the rescue and picked her up. He walked her around the loud hotel room, bouncing her up and down slowly, and whispering to her, until she finally drifted into a light sleep. That's when he excused himself so she could go down for a nap - he had clearly learned his lesson from the other day.

I sighed as I waited for not only my hair to get done, but also the lunch that was being brought. Alice had volunteered Emmett to run over to a pizza place and pick up the fifteen pizzas that she pre-ordered, and they were on the way now. I put my hand on my belly and rubbed it slowly while I waited.

Not even ten minutes later, Edward wandered back into the room with Ava. I raised my eyebrow in question, and he laughed. "She woke up the second I put her down. She doesn't like to be put down."

"Evidently - oh!" Edward's eyes widened and I laughed. "No, no, it's just the baby kicking." I grabbed his free hand and pressed it against the side of my enormous belly. "Do you feel it?"

"Damn." He whispered. "She's really kicking!"

"Oh, trust me, I know." I patted my stomach three times. "I think it just means that she's happy. Or, that's what I like to think at least."

The kicking felt like flutters on the side of my stomach. It's something that I don't think I'll ever be able to explain, other than that it's the most beautiful thing I'll ever feel. Every time she kicks is a constant reminder that there's another life growing inside of me. And that's definitely something to think about. It's wonderful.

It wasn't long before the pizza arrived. Everyone cheered when Emmett burst through the door with boxes an boxes of pizza piled in his ridiculously muscular arms. Myself included. Edward put Aveline on a chair and rushed over to help him set them all down. Once it was all set up, there was a mad rush for the food. I let out a deep breath and pushed myself up from my seat quickly, which proved to be the biggest mistake I would make.

The moment I stood up, I felt a faint pain rise in my belly. It was short, ending almost as quickly as it started, but it hurt like hell. I put both of my hands on my lower back and squeezed my eyes shut. "Holy shit." I mumbled. Nobody else seemed to have noticed. I took a minute to catch my breath before I grabbed some water along with three slices of pizza.

I took my time as I made my way back to my seat, and once I was finally sitting back down again, I drank the entire bottle of water, and slowly chewed on my pizza. It was hot and cheesey - perfect. I quickly ate all three slices, then asked Edward to get me some more. He grinned, and hurried back to the pizza boxes to get me some more before they all ran out. I leaned back in my chair and put my hands on either side of my belly.

I ate the pizza Edward brought over to me just as quickly as the three slices before. I don't know how many slices I ended up eating overall, but I do know that it was a lot. Eight, maybe nine slices. The quantity of how much food I eat while I'm pregnant doesn't ever concern me - I have another person to support. It's like I'm eating for two for nine months.

After everyone finished eating, it was back to "wedding mode." A woman came over to me and started working on my feet, which I was honestly excited about. I love soaking my feet in the hot tub of soapy water (it really helps with my swelling feet). With my hands still pressed to me belly, I closed my eyes as she massaged my feet, and painted my toenails.

Edward was sitting on the arm of the chair next to me, while Ava sat in the seat. She was still working on her pizza that we had cut up into tiny pieces. He rested his hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. I smiled back and leaned my head into him.

"Having fun yet?" He teased.

"If it weren't for the free pedicure I'd be out of here." I told him, and he laughed. "I mean, who doesn't want a fr - " I felt that light pain again in the same place as before. I tightened my grip on my stomach and bit my lip.

"What's wrong?!" Edward asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just the baby kicking again." I lied. Edward cocked his head to the side like he didn't believe me. "It really is. I'm fine. She's just kicking a lot today."

"Alright, if you're sure..."

"Yes. I'm sure." I said between my teeth.

But of course I wasn't sure. I knew it wasn't the baby kicking. I knew exactly what the problem was.

I looked over at Alice, who already seemed to be glowing. Her nails were painted perfectly, and she was having her hair done. There were beautiful, intricate braids, and curls, and extensions being clipped into to make her pixie cut longer for the night. She was talking on the phone to someone - Jasper, maybe - and laughing as she did. She looked happy. I frowned. I couldn't ruin her wedding day with this.

I bit my lip and counted back as the pain eventually died down. The contraction was twenty minutes away from the last one. I glanced over at the clock. The wedding started exactly three hours from now. I figured it I made it through the ceremony, I could tell Edward to jump in the car, and we could go. If this is the real thing. It could be false labor again. I crossed my fingers that that was the case. I wasn't about the ruin Alice's big day.

As time went by, the pain got worse and worse, and people were starting to notice. I felt the energy drained out of me, and even with what felt like five pounds of makeup, some were commenting on my pale skin and pained expression. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. This felt more like real labor than Braxton Hicks - it was far too painful. I had no clue how I was going to make it down that aisle. Or if, for that matter.

I knew I should have been on my way to the hospital. The contractions were nearing ten minutes apart now. But it wasn't until later - much later - that I finally said something. The clock was blinking five, two hours since the first contraction, and it was time for the entire wedding party to pile into the limo that was waiting downstairs. Everyone looked pretty and perfect, especially Alice. Had I not been hiding the seriousness of my pain, I would have been twinging with jealously.

"To the limo!" Alice commanded.

"To the limo!" We all repeated, and headed for the door.

I gripped onto the sides of the chair and pushed myself off of my feet. The pain was unbearable standing up. I gasped, and put my hand to my stomach. Edward, who had just picked up Aveline, froze, and stared at me. "Bella. What's wrong?"

I started crying. "I can't do this... I'm sorry..."

He put Ava back down and rushed over to me. "Sweetheart, what - "

I started breathing heavily. "The baby." I panted. "Is coming."

"Are you sure it isn't Braxton Hicks again?"

"YES I'm sure." I screamed. "I've been having contractions for two goddamn hours now!"

"Why didn't you - "

"What's wrong?" Alice asked. She had just wandered back into the room, as though she were waiting for us. "The limo is outside. We're heading off to the ceremony. We don't want to be late."

"Bella's in labor." Edward said as he helped me back into my seat.

I tried to focus on my breathing. In, out, In, out. "Yeah." I leaned my head back and cried. My voice went up an octave as I ranted on. "I'm so sorry Alice. I tried to ignore it but it just hurts so much. I'm so sorry. This is your day..." Another contraction. I clutched onto my belly and breathed in deeply. "Oh my god."

"I've got to get her to a hospital."

"I'm sure the limo could drop you off there." Alice said frantically.

"Edddwaarrddd." I sobbed. "Get our stuff from the room..."

"We can't go anywhere until we call the hospital."

"I'll look up the number." Alice offered.

"Alice, you're going to be late for your wedding. You need to go."

She looked conflicted.

"Please." I managed to spit out. "I want you to go. It's your wedding. Don't worry about me." I forced a smile onto my lips. "Congratulations, Alice. I'm so happy for you."

She smiled. "You too, Bella." She gave me a hug, then turned to Edward. "Call me as soon as you get to the hospital, alright?"

He nodded as he flipped through the phone book. I knew that he was moving as quickly as he could, but it didn't feel fast enough. I was moaning and crying even louder as the seconds went by. I needed some kind of damn medication, and I needed it now. Aveline was sitting on the floor and looking at me a little oddly.

I looked down at her and reached out to grab her hand.

"Your sister is on the way." I said. "She'll be here soon."

"Baby..." She repeated.

"Yes... baby..."

"I'm a baby."

I laughed a little. "Yes, you are a baby."

Edward had finally gotten through to the hospital. I mumbled a quick "thank god," and kicked my feet impatiently against the carpet floor. He spoke quickly into the receiver, so quickly that I could hardly hear him. I was just happy that he was in contact with a hospital.

After a long lived five minutes, he put the phone down and came over to me.

"Can we go yet?"

"Not yet. They said to wait until they're closer together, baby."

"What?!" I shrieked.

"Shh. It's okay, baby. It's okay." He tried to reassure me. "It's going to be alright. Come on, let's go lay on the bed."

He helped me up, and we slowly made our way to the hotel bed. I fell into the soft sheets, and tried to find a comfortable position to lay in. Nothing was working. Edward gave me more ideal clothes to wear, and even helped me change into them. Just as I had pulled the shirt over my head, another contraction hit. This one had been ten minutes apart from the other - the same as last time. We were no closer to getting to the hospital than before. I groaned loudly and buried my head into the closet pillow I could find.

Edward was doing his best. He was running all over the hotel room getting me everything that I could possibly need. He got me water four times, rubbed my back twice, fluffed my pillows, got me another blanket, turned the AC on, and sat down with me until I realized that this pain was too much for me to handle.

"Screw the doctor's." I whispered to him an hour later. "I need to get to the hospital now."

"Honey, I think we should - "

"Take me to the goddamn hospital right now, or so help me God Edward, I will - "

"Okay, okay. Hospital time it is."

When a woman in labor says it's time to go to the hospital, it's time to go to the hospital.

He carefully grabbed onto my arms and helped me up. It hurt like hell as I stood up, and I desperately wanted to sit right back down. But I knew that if I did, this baby would end up being born in a hotel room, and I was not having that. It was already bad enough that we were thousands of miles away from home.

The walk down to the car was the worst. We got some strange stairs from people in the elevator. (It's not every day you see a woman in labor in the elevator of a hotel.) And some equally as strange stares from everyone in the lobby. Especially when another contraction hit as we were walking through. I whimpered loud enough for them all to hear, but at this point, I could care less. I just needed a damn doctor.

It felt like déjà vu getting into the car and driving to the hospital, because only just over a year ago, we were going through exactly the same thing. The same pain, the same agony, the same nerves. And as I slid into the front seat, I repeated the same words that I had last time.

"Let's go have a baby."

* * *

**I didn't want to end it there. Sorry. :( But I did. Give me name suggestions! Laina or Lucy? Thanks fore reading and I hope you all loved it!**

**I'm in a contest to meet Taylor Swift. If you go to the bravehearts website, and go to the video titled "The H-Squad," and watch it, and vote... that'd be awesome! And if you tell me what the video is about, then I'll give you a spoiler for the next chapter. ;)(Voting starts on the 24th of June.)**

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**


	39. At This Moment You Mean Everything

**OH MY GOD. GUYS! 600 REVIEWS? 600?! WHAT?! THAT'S AMAZING. IT'S SO AMAZING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL BE ABLE TO STOP TYPING IN ALL CAPS. **

**Okay, well, all caps gets annoying, so I'll stop. Seriously, though. Thank you. I'm so humbled and thankful for this right now. I was so happy when I saw that number. (: Anyway, here's the chapter… it took a while because it's DRAMATIC. ;) Okay here it is now.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. And this is a story. Therefore, I'm going to get creative with fancy words that I may or not make up (but it's a story so it doesn't matter. John Green actually did this in **_**The Fault In Our Stars**_**. All of the diseases and treatments are 100% made up.)**

* * *

_BPOV_

"Edward, what the hell is taking so long?!" I cried as I gripped onto the leather seats of the car. I was sitting with my head against the headrest, and my back arched so my bottom was barely touching the seat. I had never been more uncomfortable in my entire life than this moment.

"Babe, I'm sorry - " He hit the car horn. Another car beeped back in response. "There's just a lot of traffic." Edward reached over for my hand. I grabbed it and squeezed it as tightly as I possible could.

"Hurry." I took in another deep breath as another contraction hit. "Oh _my god. _I can't stay like this for much longer."

"We'll be there soon." Edward promise, though I had a funny feeling he was lying. "Then you can get an epidural and it'll all be okay."

"I don't want a god damn epidural." I snapped at him. "I want this baby OUT!

Sensing my rage, pain, and extreme discomfort, Edward flipped his hazard lights on, and turned his steering wheel to the right. I hadn't been paying much attention to what he was doing until I suddenly realized that he was driving on the grass… in the median. That nearly sent me through the roof.

"EDWARD WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING."

"I'm getting us to the hospital."

"You're breaking the law! You _idiot_! Stop!"

Despite my nagging, he didn't stop. In fact, he pressed down on the accelerator even harder and started speeding way above the speed limit. Not only was I panicked because we were driving illegally, but also because the grass was ridiculously bumpy, and Edward was carelessly speeding through it.

I put my hand on my stomach and breathed in and out very deeply. I moaned loudly and closed my eyes, hoping that we would be back on the road soon. (We weren't. The traffic went on for miles and miles on end. So long, in fact, that I was beginning to appreciate Edward's actions, otherwise we would be naming the baby Lombard Street.)

Just as my nerves had settled, and I was preparing myself for the tedious hours in the hospital room, the obvious happened. Police sirens were going off behind us, and red, blue, and white lights were swirling around.

"God dammit!" Edward yelled, hitting his hands against the steering wheel as he drove.

"Pull over…" I gasped.

"I can't pull over. You're not going to make it to the hospital it we pull over."

"Edward. _Pull over_."

"Getting you to the hospital is more important than a ticket." He said to me as he hit his foot on the accelerator, and turned back onto the road, weaving in and out of cars as he did. There was a sign for the hospital by a stop light. Two miles away.

'You can do this.' I thought to myself. 'Only two miles. You can do this.'

Had there not been two cop cars behind us, I would have been able to concentrate more clearly on that, too. But with Edward speeding, Aveline crying in the backseat, and sirens going off, my head was spinning like a record, and the contractions were only getting worse.

Edward spun us into the parking lot of the emergency room, and sped straight up to the entrance. Once he did this, he immediately jumped out of the car and ran over to my side, where he opened the door and helped me out. He started walking me into the hospital when I stopped him.

"You forgot the baby…"

"God dammit. Aveline." He cursed and ran back to the car. Once he had her in his arms, he ran back over and helped me inside. The flashing blue lights were reflecting against the glass windows and doors. A few patients and nurses turned to look.

Once we got up to the desk, Edward spoke up. "Hi. This is my wife, Bella. We called a little while ago… she's in labor…"

"Alright. I have you right here."

"Thank god." I whispered, and clutched onto my belly.

"If you'll just take a seat then we'll be - "

"Take a seat?!" I practically screeched. "I can't wait…" I wanted to cry. I could feel that this baby was coming soon. I didn't have time to wait. I needed pain medication. I needed to lay down. I needed this baby out already.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but we aren't ready. It's been a busy night. We need to get the room ready."

Just as I was about to challenge her, the doors opened and two men in uniform walked in. I looked at Edward with a worried look written on my face. They couldn't take him. Not now. I didn't know what to do. I started crying.

"Hey, hey." Edward brushed a strand of hair out of my face with his free hand. "It's okay."

"No…" I sobbed. "I need a hospital room, and this just hurts so bad, and now they're going to take you to jail, and I just really need you - " I burst into tears again.

Edward quickly glanced over at the police officers, then averted his attention back to me. "Come on." He said, dismissing my worries. "Let's get you a seat." And since I really had no other choice, I slowly, and painful, waddled towards the closest empty seat we could find. He put Ava on the seat next to me, and kissed us both on the head. "I'll be right back. I promise."

I reached for his hand and held it for as long as I could as he walked away. I watched as he spoke to the officers. His stance was defensive; face hard. He pointed over to me, and both of the officers looked. The said something to him. I couldn't quite make it out. Edward shook his head and threw his arms out in frustration.

Another contraction hit with much more force than any I had ever felt before. I gasped in pain and arched my back, again, in the chair. Ava looked over at me with watery green eyes. I looked back at her and smiled as best as I could.

"Momma." She whispered to me.

"Hi, sweetie." I whispered back.

"Mama have owies?"

I laughed breathlessly. "Yes, mommy has owies."

"Nooo!" She wailed, throwing her arms down. "No momma no!"

"It's okay." I rubbed her chubby, baby face. "Mommy is going to be - " I squeezed my eyes shut as another contraction hit. They were definitely getting closer together. "Alright."

Aveline's lower lip quivered. She was pouting just like I would have been. I smiled a little because I knew she was turning out to be a mini version of myself. I sighed and pulled her closer to me, so her head was resting against my sweaty arm.

I looked back over at Edward. He was leaning over the counter and signing a piece of paper. The ticket, I assumed. It was better than being hauled off to jail. I'd take a stupid ticket over that any day.

I was trying my best not to start screaming. The pain was intense - much worse than the first time. I felt shaky and sweaty. My skin was clammy. Throat dry. Eyes heavy. The contractions were minutes apart now. I decided to time the next one. Only five minutes. It felt so much shorter.

"Mrs. Cullen? We're ready for you." I heard from the front of the room. I looked up and saw two nurses standing there. One held a clipboard; the other a wheelchair. I raised my hand, and they both zoomed over to me. One helped me into the chair, while the other held little Aveline's hand.

"Wait." I moaned as we started down the hallway. I gripped my hands onto the arm rests. "My husband is still out there - I need him - I can't - " My voice was shaking.

"Which one is your husband?" One of them asked me. I pointed to Edward, who was still with the cops, and she nodded. "We won't do anything without him. We're just going to get you and your daughter in the room, get you changed, and make sure everything is alright."

I relaxed a little at the reassurance. "Okay. That's fine."

The hospital room was like any other room. The walls, floors, ceiling - everything was white. There was a bed pushed against the right wall, and a window at the end of the room. Medical equipment sat by the bed, and there was a bathroom door by the front of the room.

The nurse handed me a hospital gown to change into, and gave me some time to get settled. Aveline was following me around like a little puppy, holding onto my hand for dear life. I think she was a little confused. Nonetheless, I changed into the hideous hospital gown, and staggered over to the hospital bed.

It felt so empty without Edward here, so I tried to focus on Aveline.

She pulled herself onto the hospital bed and sat down next to me with her legs crossed "criss-cross-apple-sauce" like she had learned from the book we got her a few weeks back. She saw my phone sitting on the bedside table, and instantly started reaching for it. I weakly grabbed it. "You want to listen to music?"

"Yes." Aveline said excitedly as I scrolled through my music and played the first song that came on. It was an old song - from the 90's. Maybe even earlier. But it was good nonetheless. "Come on Eileen" was the name, and it had little Ava dancing in her seat.

She was suddenly squirming her way off of the bed and onto the tile floor. I turned on the music a little louder and laughed as she danced. She stomped her tiny little feet and spun around in a circle, nearly slipping. I clenched my teeth as she stood back up and started shaking body from side to side, and squealing in delight.

Aveline likes to dance, and it's just about the cutest thing you'll ever see.

A few minutes later, there was a tap on the door. I turned the music off and called for whoever it was to come in. Aveline clearly wasn't happy with this. Her face immediately fell, and she dropped to the floor screaming, "I dance."

The doctor looked at her and smiled. "You can keep the music on."

"Thanks." I smiled and turned it back on. Aveline heard the music and smiled. Instead of dancing, she sat on the floor and attempted to sing along, though it sounded like mumbling put to a tune.

"She's too cute." The doctor complimented before averting her attention back to me. "Anyway - my name is Doctor McGuire."

"I'm Bella."

"Hi, Bella." She smiled. "Are you alone today?"

"No, no. My husband will be here soon…"

"Alright, good. Do you mind if I just check a few things?"

I shrugged my shoulders and she got to work.

It was exactly as I had expected. Dr. McGuire checked my temperature, blood pressure, and also wanted to see how far dilated I was. "You're about five centimeters. Halfway there." She said as I nodded my head. "Your blood pressure is also a little high, and your temperature is running a little high, too."

I sat up in bed. "What does that mean?" Panic was obvious in my voice. I swallowed hard and put a hand on my tummy as if to protect my baby.

"We're going to put this on your stomach." Dr. McGuire held up what looked like an elastic band with a big, black monitor on it. "It'll keep track of the baby's heart rate. We'll also have to check her heart beat continually."

I nodded slowly, and pulled the blanket over my legs, then lifted the end of the hospital gown over my stomach so we could hook up the monitor. "What happens if it gets too high?" I asked as she put the gel on my stomach to test the babies heart.

"Probably a C-Section." She said just before she pressed the monitor to my stomach.

I didn't even have time to process a c-section before my baby's heart thudded throughout the room. Like always, it sounded like a train. It sounded no different to me. Just beautiful and soothing. Dr. McGuire, on the other hand, bit her lip in question. "It's a little fast. We're going to have to keep that in mind."

She explained to me that the best thing I could do was keep as calm as possible, and gave me an IV to help with my blood pressure. I didn't ask for the epidural yet. I wanted Edward to be here for that. Which, luckily for me, wasn't long. He ran into the room ten minutes later and pulled me into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." He whispered into my ear.

"It's okay." I nestled my head into his neck.

Edward ran a hand through my hair and kissed me on the cheek. "What did the doctor say? How are you doing? The baby?"

I explained everything she had said to me. His face fell a little at the tense news, but I grabbed his hand and smiled at him. I knew it was going to be okay. He smiled back at me and he squeezed my hand tightly.

And that began the longest wait of our entire life.

"BELLA!" I heard someone screamed from behind the closed hospital room door. My hand shot to my heart, and I heard the monitor beep a little faster. Edward sighed and walked over to the door, opening it slowly.

Sure enough, in walked Alice, wedding dress and all, with Jasper right by her side.

"Bella. Oh my god. Bella. Are you okay?!"

"_Alice_?" I gasped. "What are you doing here?" I looked over at the clock. "You're supposed to be at your reception."

"Well, you practically kicked everyone out. As soon as I finished kissing her, she grabbed the microphone from the preacher and told everyone to get out." Jasper explained. "Told them her best friend was about to have her baby, and she'd be dammed if she missed it."

My jaw fell to the floor. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No." Alice said, grabbing the hem of her dress, and walking over to me. Her heels clicked on the tile floor. She wrapped her arm around me and gave me a hug. "I wouldn't miss my niece being born for the world."

I smiled. "You're so sweet."

"And everyone else is in the waiting room."

"Everyone!"

"No, not everyone." She reassured me. "Just, you know, the usual. Em, Rose, mom, dad… us…." Alice rolled her eyes. "You get the picture."

"You so did not have to do that."

"But I did." She smiled.

Alice stayed in our room for a little while. She told me about how perfect and fairytale like the wedding was. Listening to her describe it such detail helped me distract myself from the pain.

Edward sat with Aveline in the corner of the room and watched her dance to the same song on repeat over and over again. It was the only song she would dance to - "Come on, Eileen." The one from earlier. At least she has good taste in music.

It was nice talking to her. She stayed up until Dr. McGuire came back into the room. Then, in her wedding dress, she walked out of the room, with hopes that when she returned, there would be another addition to the family. We said our goodbyes to Jasper as well, who took Aveline with him, where she would wait in the waiting room with the rest of the family.

Dr. McGuire told us that she was going to see how dilated I was now that hours had passed, and I had been given the epidural. Edward stood by the side of the bed and we anxiously anticipated her words.

"Alright, Bella. You're ten centimeters." Dr. McGuire announced. I let out a sigh of relief and let my head fall against the pillow. Finally it was time for the baby to be here. By this point, I wasn't even concerned on how much this was going to hurt. I wanted it over with.

"Let's do this." I said fearlessly.

I watched as everything was set up. On the far side of the room, there was a baby crib, a scale, and nurses holding equipment to use on the baby. Dr. McGuire prepped me for labor, while another nurse stood by her side with a little towel in hand.

I looked over at Edward and nodded my head. I was ready for this. He smiled and held out his hand. I grabbed it and gave it a big squeeze. This was it. The anxious moments before our baby girl would be brought into the world. I couldn't have been happier.

"On the count of three, I want you to start pushing."

I let out a deep breath.

"One… two… three…."

I had forgotten how hell-like and torturous child birth was. I felt like I was being ripped from inside out. There was no mercy. I felt like every push was useless. Despite my negativity, everyone around was cheering me on. Edward leaned in closer and let me hold his hand as much as I needed to. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried my best not to scream - it was extremely hard.

My legs were wobbly and felt so weak, but I kept going. Kept pushing harder and harder. It was the only thing I could do. That, breathe, and break all of the bones in Edward's fingers.

"I can't do this." I sobbed when they started counted down again. "I can't… I can't…"

"Yes you can." Edward told me. "I know you can."

I let out a long, painful moan as I went in for another unbearable push. I gasped, my eyes shooting wide open. I could feel the head _right there_. Dr. McGuire commented on it. She said that there was a full head of hair. I cried loudly. 'So close, Bella. You're so close.' I told myself. Even then, I had never wanted to give up so damn badly in the entire life, but they told me to keep going.

"This is it! The last part!" Someone yelled. I didn't know who. The pain was too much for me to figure it out. Everything felt blurry.

"Come on. Push through the shoulders and it's all over!" Another voice called out to me.

This time I actually did scream. I was surprised that Edward's hand hadn't fallen off yet. I was holding it as tightly as possible. I leaned forward, closed my eyes, and pushed as hard as I possible could. My breathing came out in uneven gasps from the force I was putting my poor body through. Childbirth is brutal.

"One more, Bella. One more." Dr. McGuire said to me. "Give me one more really big push."

"Oh my god… oh my god…" I started crying. "I can't, I can't…"

"You need to do this. You need to get this baby out _now_."

I breathed deeply. "What's wrong? I-I don't - what's going on?"

"Her shoulder is stuck. We need to get her out now. It's not safe for you or the baby." Her voice was serious. "You need to stay focused and keep pushing. Okay?"

"Okay." I whimpered. I was terrified now. Our lives were in danger.

"Big push in three, two, one - "

As if it were even possible, I pushed even harder tha before. There was a sudden motivation inside of me. Adrenaline took over my fear of the pain, and I found it somewhat easier to push. I let it all out. I screamed, and cried, and curses loudly. Edward was right there with me every step of the way.

He was my biggest motivator. He kept telling me how proud he was. How excited he was to see our baby. I kept his thoughts through my head throughout the entire birth. Aside from the pressure of needing to get her out, he was possibly the reason I did as well as I did.

"We've got her. We've got her." Dr. McGuire said quickly. "This is it. Last push and she'll be here."

"Promise?" I panted.

"Yes. I promise."

I braced myself for the pain that was about to hit me. This was always the worst part. Edward grabbed my hand and put his arm around me, pulling me into him as I pushed through. Everyone was smiling and cheering and yelling words of encouragement. The pain collided into me like an avalanche, and after one last scream, sudden relief washed over me.

I opened my eyes, still panting, and burst into tears when I heard the sound of my baby screaming. They immediately handed her to me, and sobbed tears of joy when she was finally in my arms. She squirmed in my grasp, and cried just as loudly as Aveline had when she was born.

Edward pulled me closer and kissed me atop of my head as we stared down at our daughter in pure joy. Then, just as quickly as they had handed her to me, they took her away to check her.

I took a moment to catch my breath. The pain was gone. I felt very light - in a way, almost too light. I breathed deeply and leaned my head against the pillow. I was exhausted from the hours and hours of labor….

* * *

_EPOV_

She was here. Our angel was finally here. I stared down at her in complete bliss. This had been no different from our first daughter. I was overwhelmed by the idea of becoming a father again, and by the beauty she radiated after only moments of being on this Earth.

Bella was crying tears of joy. I wanted to pull her closer and never let go. She had proved just how much I loved her by doing this.

The nurses took the baby from Bella's arms, and swiftly went to make sure she was okay. I watched as they cleaned her off and began to weigh her for a few moments, then averted my attention back to Bella to tell her how much I loved her.

That's when I realized that something was wrong. All of the color was drained from her face. Her head was against the pillow and her eyes were closed. She looked more like a corpse than a new mother of two.

"Bella?" I asked her hesitantly.

"Yeah?" She sighed.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just tired…"

I wasn't so sure. I called the doctor over - .McGuire, I think her name was. I pointed to Bella, and she shared the same initial worry that I had. She put a hand to Bella's head and quickly flipped to the other side. She sat there for a moment before she let out a nearly inaudible gasp. "She's hemorrhaging. Anderson! Gloves. Now. Get me suction - "

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded.

"Sir, please step back."

I was taken aback. Something _was _seriously wrong. "To hell with that. This is my wife - "

"Mr. Cullen." She snapped.

"You're going to tell me what's going on or so help me - "

"Mr. Cullen, please don't make us call security." Her voice was hard. "I need to work. I can't do this with you here."

"You want me to leave." I said this like a statement.

"Your daughter needs you." Dr. McGuire said.

I looked over to the side of the room, where a nurse was cradling our daughter in her arms. I looked over at Bella. Her skin was even paler than before. I walked over and kissed her on the forehead before I went over to the nurse. She led me out of the room, with our daughter still in her arms, and into the hallway.

I hated this. Holding our daughter before Bella. Holding her without Bella. It felt wrong. I needed to be in that room with her. I tried to peak in through the window, but I couldn't see the bed from where I was standing.

"Mr. Cullen?" The nurse asked behind thick, blonde bangs. "Would you like to hold your daughter?"

I hesitated for a moment.

"Your wife won't mind." She whispered, sensing my deliberation.

I found myself nodding and suddenly our daughter was placed in my arms for the first time. She was crying. Her little arms reached out for me, and I let her tiny fingers curl around my finger. I tried to take in every aspect of her. Everything little thing.

Who's eyes? Hair? Lips? It was so hard to tell. All I knew was that she was beautiful, and she was ours. She had ten fingers, and ten toes. Two eyes, two hands, and two tiny feet.

I looked down at her and pressed my lips to my daughter's forehead. "Hi Lucy." I whispered. I gasped when I realized what I had called her. And realized why. That was the name Bella had wanted so badly. She had been fighting for that name ever since she brought it up. I looked back towards the room. "Lucy." I repeated again with a nod to my head. "The light of our life…"

Some time must have passed while I stood there with our daughter. With Lucy, as I had recently decided. Because soon enough, the door opened, and Dr. McGuire stepped out. I looked at her and smiled. She had a stethoscope around her neck and her hands were folded in front of her.

"Edward. I'm so sorry - "

I froze. "For what?" My voice came out in a whisper.

"For making you leave! Bella is fine."

I let out a sigh of relief and looked back down at our baby. "It's okay." I whispered. I could hardly take my eyes off of the angel in my arms.

"Would you like to come back in? Bella's up. She's ready to meet your daughter."

I felt my lips upturn into a smile. I didn't even have to answer. She already knew.

* * *

_BPOV_

_I took a moment to catch my breath. The pain was gone. I felt very light - in a way, almost too light. I breathed deeply and leaned my head against the pillow. I was exhausted from the hours and hours of labor. _

"Bella?" Edward asked me.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just tired…"

Edward called over Dr. McGuire. She put her hand to my head. It felt like ice. She then moved to the other side. She sat there for a moment before she let out a nearly inaudible gasp. "She's hemorrhaging. Anderson! Gloves. Now. Get me suction - "

"What the hell is going on?" Edward demanded. His voice sounded fuzzy. Everything felt dizzy, too. I closed my eyes and tried to drift off. I had never been so tired. I went from staring at nothing but black to complete bright.

It was white, and happy, and warm. There were flashes of the dark coming through. The black flashes were like memories seeping into the light. Music was playing softly from one - the song Ava was dancing to earlier. Scenes like a movie played in other ones. Edward with braces. Us dancing together at our first prom together. Dinner with my dad. They went by to the music that was playing softly in the background.

There were muffled voices in the background. They were calling out my name. I ignored them. I wanted to keep watching. It was like gravity, in a way. The bigger events pulled me in closer. Made me want to watch closer. But the voices were getting louder.

"No, no… no… no…"

"Bella. Stay with me."

I felt my head shaking.

"Edward needs you. Aveline needs you. Your baby needs you."

The splotches were suddenly gone. I shot up in bed and gasped with my eyes wide open. There were a sea of faces staring back at me, but the only thing I could say was the name of my darling little girl. "Lucy." I gasped with my hand to my heart.

"Bella. Are you okay?" Dr. McGuire asked.

"Where is she?" I asked frantically. "Where is - where's - Lucy."

She ignored my question and explained to me what had just happened to me. I stared at her in disbelief. That couldn't have happened. I sat up a little straighter in bed and looked around. "Edward. Where is he?"

"Would you like me to get them?"

I nodded eagerly. Dr. McGuire smiled and stepped outside for a quick minute. Moments later, she came back in with Edward trailing behind. In his arms, he held a small bundle of pink. I put my hand to my mouth and gasped. That was her. That was my little girl. When he was finally by my side, he handed her to me. The moment she was in my arms, she was suddenly all I could think about.

She was awake. Not crying, but staring up at me with familiar green eyes. I secretly did a victory dance. She had those beautiful green eyes that I loved so much. Her skin was porcelain and soft. Lips thin and bright pink. I smiled at her and brought her closer to me.

"Oh my god." I whispered. "She's perfect. Absolutely perfect." I looked up at Edward with watery eyes. "Look at her."

He gave me a soft kiss on the lips. That was a good enough answer for me. We sat there in silence for a moment. The happiness in the room was enough to speak for itself. Here in this bed, with my baby in my arms, and Edward by my side, I felt like the happiest girl in the world.

"Lucy." Edward said after a few minutes of quiet.

"What?" I asked.

"Lucy." He said. "I think we should name her Lucy."

I felt myself smiling. "Seriously?"

"100%." He told me with a smile on his face too. "And for a middle name, how about that song Ava was dancing to earlier?"

I thought about it and found myself singing it out loud. "'Come on Eileen, I swear at this moment, you mean everything.' But that's not tacky. Naming her after a song?"

He shook his head and grinned. "Not under this circumstance."

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and nestled my head against his shoulder. We were both staring right at her. Lucy Eileen Cullen.

* * *

**YAY FINALLY. I tried to make that semi-dramatic. Didn't turn out how I planned. ): But I'm still proud of it! **

**The song is really good. If you listen to it, at least get through the chorus because that's where it gets really catchy. (Around the one minute ten mark.)**

**Can you believe this story is coming to an end? That's really sad… not ready to let go. Xoxo. Love you guys so much and thanks for all of the support!**

**Oh. I chose Lucy for a reason. When you say Laina and Ava together they sound really similar. You don't run into a problem with that when it's just Lucy. (:**

**THANKS FOR READING  
****Xoxo,  
****Halley**


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